How I Know You
by thunderbolts-lightning
Summary: Rachel is broken hearted and lost when she boards the train to New York City. Jesse is jobless and on a mission. How far is Jesse willing to go to bring back the Rachel he once knew, who has been smothered by her fantasy of a high school love story.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of it's characters. If I did, St. Berry would be endgame, Kurt would have been accepted into NYADA, and Finchel would get out of our faces. I also do not own _It's a Hard Life _by Queen. I worship Queen and Jesse's go to song choice will always be Queen.  
**

**xxx**

**How I Know You - **Chapter 1

Taking one last look at his old office, Jesse said goodbye to Carmel High school for the third and final time. He lifted the box containing his belongings and started towards the nearest exit, which lead him across the auditorium and out the stage doors. It had been a long, hard year as the coach of Vocal Adrenaline; after their loss at nationals two years ago, funding had been cut, the team had lost its competitive edge, and the school had searched relentlessly for a more able coach that could restore the glory of Carmel's one and only attribute. Jesse had not been on their list of possible coaches, for he didn't make his failure at UCLA known to the public; but after months of unemployment, he had heard of his old schools predicament and had offered to pick up the position. Vocal Adrenaline was a dying flame; all of the lead performers had been forced to graduate and no new talent wanted to join a team whose reputation was quickly disintegrating . No one was special in Vocal Adrenaline, there was no star. Even with Wade/Unique as its lead vocalist, Jesse knew they couldn't win at Nationals, not when he was up against the New Directions and Rachel Berry.

Two years ago, the New Directions were a pitiful glee club. Even if Jesse had competed with them, bringing his own incredible talent to the mix, there was no hope for a win. Yet, there was a driving force in that club that propelled its talent, and its census, to a standard almost comparable to that of Vocal Adrenaline. That driving force was named Rachel Berry. Her hard work and dedication to the glee club had never dwindled, no matter how many slushies were thrown at her face and no matter how many members insulted her or threatened to quit. Their singing and dancing had improved tremendously, and their song choice and choreography stood out at competitions. They still were not clear cut champions, but Jesse could see their potential, especially at last year's Nationals.

And after spying at their regional's this year, he knew they would be the toughest team to beat. Whether it was Rachel's extremely competitive nature, or a blessing from the show choir gods, the New Directions had acquired some not-so-secret weapons to aid in their fight to victory. Blaine Anderson, of the Dalton Academy Warblers had transferred to McKinley and joined the Glee club; and the Trouble Tones, a sub group of the New Directions, had brought with them a well working blend of female vocals that served as a breath of fresh air, along with the Cheerio back-up dancers that made the dance routines appear more advanced (and rehearsed). Therefore, it wasn't surprising when the New Directions took the National title this year; Jesse's insane rehearsal schedule and calculated song choice hadn't been good enough to beat the distinctive and passionate performance of the underdogs. It also wasn't surprising that a week after Vocal Adrenaline's loss, the principal and the club's main investors had fired him for being "not experienced enough to coach such a prestigious team ", then blaming their loss on his inadequacies. They hadn't known, however, how a male drama queen of only twenty years old would react. After reminding the adults of his contribution in the victory years of Vocal Adrenaline and his most recent accomplishment in making Wade a national inspiration, Jesse knocked the four national trophies from the principal's shelf and threatened to make sure they never won another competition before he stormed out in a brume of fury and embarrassment.

Now, as he took the last of his belongings, he couldn't help but stop at the center of the stage and look out into his old auditorium with nostalgia. He didn't know what he was going to do now, what job he would have to settle for, or whether he would continue to live at his parents' abandoned house, but at that moment he just wanted one last song. He set the heavy box down on the piano and sat down to play.

_I don't want my freedom_

_there's no reason for living with a broken heart_

_This is a tricky situation_

_I've only got myself to blame_

_It's just a simple fact of life_

_It can happen to anyone_

_You win- you lose_

_It's a chance you have to take with love_

_Oh yeah I fell in love_

_And now you say its over and I'm falling apart_

_How it hurts deep inside_

_When your love had cut you down to size_

_Life is tough- on your own_

_Now I'm waiting for something to fall from the skies_

_And I'm waiting for love_

_Yes, its a hard life_

As Jesse entered his soulful chorus, his phone began to vibrate in his pocket. He didn't want to stop, but he knew sooner or later someone would call security to escort him out, so he answered the phone without sparing a cursory glance at the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Jesse St. Jacka-St. James? Puckerman here,"

In an instant of hearing his rival's voice through the phone, Jesse hardened his tone, "What the hell are you doing calling me, Puck? Don't you have a graduation ceremony to attend? Or are you going to be roaming McKinley's hallowed halls for another year?"

"Actually, I'm gonna be receiving my diploma tomorrow." Puck sniped, then, as a sort of afterthought, he muttered, "God, how the hell did I think this was a _good_ idea. Goddamn stupider than my plan to seduce Ms. Doozenberry into giving me that C."

"Get to the point a little faster, Puckerman." Jesse snapped.

"Shut your face," Puck growled, obviously not used to being pushed around. "Look, word on the street is that you're coaching those Vocal Adrenaline punks now."

"_And_? What, did you want me to help your former glee club? You did just win Nationals, in case you forgot."

"Yes, I need your help, but it has nothing to do with glee club. I know I am going to regret this, but Jews gotta look out for one another."

"Okay?"

"Alright man...I need to ask you for a huge favor."

"Like I'd do you a favor," Jesse scoffed.

"It involves Rachel."

The sound of her name sent a surge of electricity through his body and he was instantly worried.

"Is there something wrong? Is she alright? Does she need me?"

Puck snorted good-naturedly, saying, "That's more like it, just let me start from the beginning."

xxx

**This is my first St. Berry fic and I am super excited to continue writing it. This is going to be a long fic with many twists and turns! And I promise there's a reason it's rated M. ;)**

**I'd like to thank eternallystberry who is my beta and DreamsofRay for their words of encouragement and excitement. I couldn't have done it without you. Cindy, you are a beta goddess. **

**I would really appreciate feedback since this is my first fic! Tell me your complete and brutally honest opinion! I will respond to each and every review! **

**Chapter 2 is coming up shortly :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of it's characters. If I did, St. Berry would be endgame, Kurt would have been accepted into NYADA, and Finchel would get out of our faces. **

**xxx**

**How I Know You **- Chapter 2

Rachel woke up with her face stuck to a window. Outside was a moving landscape of nothing but grass and cows, and inside the passengers were glued to their phones. She was still exhausted from crying; her head hurt and her face felt stiff and puffy. When she remembered what had happened only hours before, she had to do a deep breathing exercise to prevent another panic attack. A younger and more detached Rachel would have found this situation thrillingly dramatic, more so than dating a gay man; but the girl she was now was far different than the girl she was three short years ago.

Her dreams held little significance if she didn't have Finn, the love of her life, by her side, and after a year of internal struggle, she had downsized her dreams to be much easier to achieve. Her engagement to Finn was one of them, her win at Nationals was another, and the acceptance of Kurt, Finn, and herself into their respective New York colleges was another. She had accepted the fact that not everyone could get into their dream colleges on the first try, so she adapted to the situation and resolved to defer her NYADA acceptance to give aid to the men she cared about. Sadly, only two of her three dreams had been accomplished.

Rachel couldn't believe how quickly things change. Yesterday, she was convinced that today would be the best day of her life. She would be finally married the boy she had sought after all through high school, the boy she knew she was madly in love with. But her plans had been rewritten, and instead of being betrothed to Finn Hudson, she was on a train, hopelessly deterred and terribly lost.

Finn had betrayed her trust, told her fathers, her friends, and had even bought her ticket. Everyone was there to watch her, panicked and heartbroken, board the train.

Sitting on that train, she felt a tightness in her chest that she thought would never go away. She had felt this pain many times before, always after Finn had broken her heart another time; but she always forgave him. She always would forgive him. She couldn't think of her life without Finn, he was her one true love, and she believed that when you love someone you forgive them anything, without question. He may not have chosen her over the army's honor, but she would always choose him over fame, of that she was certain. Her high school sweetheart was of much more importance than her meager dreams.

Standing up to find the bathroom and to clean off the mascara from her cheeks, Rachel stumbled as the train shifted beneath her. The only working bathroom existed at the front of the train, which meant Rachel would have to walk through three sections of coach, the dining car, and first class. The train rocked from side to side as she sidled to the front of the train. When she arrived at the dining car, she realized that it was 6:00 p.m. and she had not eaten since breakfast. She kept walking towards the car door, but surveyed the different selections around her. As she spotted what looked like a delicious vegan taco, the train threw her off balance and into a man holding a cappuccino, acutely reading a book.

"I am so sorry. I didn't mean to...I just lost my balance." Rachel sputtered as she recovered and reached to pick up the man's Stephen Sondheim biography, which was now covered in the dark hue of coffee.

"It's fine, it was just the train shifting tracks."

The voice was so easily recognizable that Rachel, looking up, almost knocked the man over again.

"Jesse, what are you doing here?" Her eyes, at first filled with shock, narrowed.

"Nice to see you too, Rachel." He mimicked her response when they had met last at Nationals.

"Jesse," she said shortly, "What are you doing on this train?"

"I'm on my way to New York. I _am_ allowed to take vacations you know." Jesse replied sarcastically. "Although, it isn't really requisite of me to explain myself to you."

"Shouldn't you be drilling Vocal Adrenaline so that you can take back National's next year and salvage whatever dignity you have left?" Rachel snapped, only half joking.

"Let's just say, Vocal Adrenaline and I weren't meant to spend this much time together. And for the record, whoever they have to coach them next year, VA will take back their rightful title, now that you're gone from the New Directions" He smiled at her in an attempt to parry his accusatory glare.

"It's just like you to compliment and insult me in the same sentence," Rachel said, her tone softening. "So you left Carmel?"

"Indeed, I made my grand departure. I'm glad to have left. Good riddance, I say. I see you had a similar idea."

"I got into NYADA. I'm going to look at the dorms." Rachel shrugged nonchalantly.

"Rachel Berry not excited about New York? I can't believe my ears!"

"It's an unnecessary trip, it's really just so Finn has time to leave." Rachel inhaled sharply, letting a sob escape from her mouth.

"What happened? Rachel, what's wrong?" Jesse's eyebrows furrowed in concern, his expression serious.

"Nothing," Rachel said quickly, eager to get to the restroom where she could cry. She gave a fake smile. "Listen, I have to go wash up and get something to eat. So, it was nice talking to you and I hope you have a wonderful time in New York, but I'm afraid I have to go. Goodbye, Jese."

"Rachel, how about I buy you dinner—"

"Jesse—"

"You don't have to eat with me, though I'd appreciate the company. You don't have to talk if you don't want to. We could eat in silence. Or we could just sit and stare at each other. Your call,"

Rachel sighed, having already given up the debate. "Fine, just let me go to the bathroom first. I'll be back."

She couldn't reach the bathroom fast enough, falling down on the toilet seat she held herself as she let another anxiety attack take its toll. The reality was slowly dawning on her that she may never see Finn again. He pushed her away to New York so that he could run to enlist in the army without her hanging onto his leg, holding him back. She took out her phone and tried to call him, but after three rings it went to voicemail. He had rejected her call. She curled up into a ball and tried to erase everything she was feeling, but flashes of Finn's face as he told her it was over, of him getting killed in battle, of his body moving further and further away from her on the platform haunted her whenever she closed her eyes.

After having exhausted all of her tears, she sat, staring blankly at nothing, feeling the rocking of the train beneath her. It felt like only seconds before there was a knocking on the bathroom door.

"Rachel, are you okay? You've been in there for twenty minutes. Quite a line has accumulated out here, and I doubt you had a bowel movement this large." She heard the teasing voice of Jesse St. James before he turned the handle and opened the door that she forgot to lock. Seeing her, now sitting on the floor in a fetal position, Jesse reached down to help her up. His arms tight around her, he led her out of the bathroom muttering apologies to the passengers who had been waiting to use the restroom.

Jesse sat her down in one of the first class seats and left the car. After a few minutes, Rachel had regained enough strength to get up to return to her seat.

"Rachel, stay put. I found your things. You'll sit with me. Case closed."

"But I don't have a first class ticket." Rachel protested.

"I talked to the personnel and they agreed to let you sit up here with me as long as you don't hog the bathroom again."

Rachel was too exhausted to argue, so she just whispered her thanks and took her purse from Jesse as she sat back into the admittedly more comfortable chair.

"I hope you don't mind, but I ordered you the tacos. They were the only vegan thing on the menu."

Surprised that he remembered her vegan diet, she said, "Funny, I was actually craving tacos."

Jesse took his seat beside her and handed her a tissue from his pocket. It wasn't until now that Rachel actually noticed his appearance. Jesse wore all black, as always, but this outfit was much more casual than she had ever seen him. He wore loose black jeans and a grey t-shirt over which was a black zip-up sweatshirt. His hair was still coifed in the Tyrone Powers haircut he mused about at nationals, but it was free of any gel and looked unusually messy for his usual style. As she stared at him, he ran his hand through his hair, messing it up even more. He was apprehensive about something.

"Thank you, Jesse, for everything. You didn't have to do all this for me," she said gratefully.

"Yes, I did, Rachel. There was a man who was about to take a shit out the window. Nobody needed to witness that."

"You know that's not what I meant!" she laughed and swatted his arm.

"I know, but I just wanted to see you laugh." After seeing Rachel's face fall again, he hastily added, "We don't have to talk about what's troubling you if you don't want to."

As he said this, their meals arrived on a cart. Her tacos in front of her, Rachel remembered just how hungry she was and devoured her meal. After she had finished the second order of tacos, Rachel sat back satisfied. "That was so good."

"That's because you ate too fast to actually taste it. It was mediocre at best. I'll take you to some restaurants in New York that have food so good you'll wish you had two stomachs."

Rachel was silent, looking away. "No, I didn't mean to say that Rachel, I was just trying to make a point."

"Finn called off the wedding," she muttered, looking at her hands.

"I'm sorry," Jesse said woodenly.

"He's enlisting in the army," she choked out, feeling her eyes fill with tears.

Jesse rubbed soothing circles on her back as she cried into his shoulder. He had no idea that she would be this damaged over the break up.

"We're meant to be together, and now I'll never see him again. He abandoned me, betrayed me, and broke my heart; but I still love him. I'll always love him and I'll always forgive him."

"I understand. I know exactly how you feel." He held her, wondering if she caught on to his comment.

"My dreams mean nothing without him." He was shocked with what he heard, this was not the Rachel he knew and loved. She was willing to give up her dreams of Broadway and NYADA for a failure whose only option was to join the army. He held his tongue, not wishing to upset her, but now he knew why Puck had called him. She had lost the ambition that had defined her for all her eighteen years, and Jesse needed to help her get over Finn and reawaken the old Rachel. And that was exactly what he was going to do.

Starting now.

xxx

**There is the second chapter! **

**Thanks again to eternallystberry and DreamsofRay for their unwavering excitement and support. eternallystberry you are the sunshine of my life.**

**Please Review, I would super duper appreciate it. Tell me what I am doing right, what I am doing wrong. Every comment helps! ****It will encourage me to keep writing!**

**Chapter 3 will be up in a few days! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of it's characters. If I did, St. Berry would be endgame, Kurt would have been accepted into NYADA, and Finchel would get out of our faces.  
**

**xxx**

**How I Know You - **Chapter 3

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now approaching New York City and are due at Grand Central Station in about twenty minutes. Therefore, we ask all passengers and attendants to prepare for arrival. The dining cab will no longer be serving, so all passengers please make your way back to your seats. Thank you."

The muffled voice of the train conductor woke Rachel from her fitful slumber, who, once awake found herself nestled in the crook of Jesse's arm with her head propped up on his shoulder. She moved away slowly in an attempt not to wake him, waiting until she was at a respectful distance to call out his name.

"Jesse...Jesse, we are almost at Grand Central Station," she placed a tentative hand his arm, hoping he would stir. "Jesse, it's time to wake up." she said a little louder, resorting to shaking him.

"Mmmmm not now," Jesse groaned languorously, swatting at her hand.

"Don't make me slap you awake, Jesse St. James." Rachel quipped without a second thought.

"You wouldn't dare," mumbled Jesse, before slowly opening his eyes and taking in Rachel's face looming over his, a drowsy smile on his lips, "because then I won't tell you how chaotic your hair looks right now."

Rachel's eyes widened and she shuffled frantically around her purse for a mirror and a hairbrush, a hand reaching up to smooth down her unruly tresses.

"Rach, stop, you're making it worse." Jesse chuckled. "I'll fix it."

She obeyed, surprised by Jesse's unexpected use of her nickname and the way he reached over to her. Jesse smoothed the back of her hair down and fixed a few fly-a-ways before tucking some hair behind her ear, his hand brushing her cheek in the process. She shivered at the contact, and Jesse pulled his hand away quickly.

"Thanks," she whispered awkwardly.

"No problem," Jesse muttered back, running a hand through his own hair, and looking out the window into the dark tunnel they were under.

"No really, thank you for everything." Rachel added, wringing her hands, "It's just been such a rough few hours and without my dad's here I just didn't know how to handle everything. I don't know what I would've done without you here."

"It's okay, Rachel." Jesse said, looking back at her. "I understand how devastated you must be. When I saw you at Nationals a few weeks ago, you looked radiant, no one could deny how happy you were..."

He saw Rachel look down at her lap. He tried to discern her expression, but failing, he continued, "Seeing you like this, it's unbearable."

She looked up at him with a calculated expression. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Rach, I'm not always the villain. Believe it or not, I don't wake up every day with the intention of wreaking emotional havoc on everyone I come in contact with."

"But, after everything I did to you...you should hate me." she murmured, avoiding his eyes by looking into her lap once more.

"I could never hate you, Rachel." Jesse said with a sigh. "I'll admit I wanted to for a while. It would've made getting over you easier. But I realized that everyone does what they do for a reason, whether they know it or not. I've made mistakes, and I've learned from them. You'll do the same. Yes, I was upset, but there's no point in holding grudges. I could have constituted a whole lot of resentment for you, but I wasn't ever able to. And not everyone in your life will hold your mistakes against you, Rach. I promise you."

"You always know exactly what to say, don't you?" Rachel said, her lips curving into a wistful smile.

"Yes, actually, I do." Jesse pronounced, raising his chin pompously.

Rachel rolled her eyes dramatically before bursting out in a fit of giggles, Jesse joining her shortly after.

When they had finished laughing, Jesse sighed and stood up.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm in dire need of coffee. I feel like I've been hit by a truck. Would you care for any?"

"Jesse, The dining cab is closed now. We're about to arrive at Grand Central."

"Damn. I need coffee before I turn narcoleptic."

"I doubt you could take ten steps into the city without coming across a coffee shop, Jesse, so if I can wait ten minutes, so can you. We'll manage."

"Doubtful," he grumbled, but collapsed back into his seat nonetheless.

At that moment, conductor's voice was heard once more. "Passengers please return to your seats, we have activated the breaks and will be at Grand Central Station within the next few minutes "

"Thank God," Jesse sighed. "I hate being confined to a seat for more than a couple of hours."

Rachel nodded in agreement as she reached for her purse. She flipped open her sparkly cell phone expectantly, but was disappointed when she saw there were no new messages.

"Nothing from Finn?" Jesse asked with a laughable amount of disregard for the intrusiveness of his question.

"Or from my Dads. Finn said they knew what time I would arrive at the station and we're perfectly on time, I don't know why they haven't texted me."

"Try calling them."

She did just that, dialing in their number and pressing the phone anxiously to her ear. It rang twice before her daddy, Leroy, answered exuberantly.

"Hello sweetie! Are you okay? Are you almost in New York?"

"I'm fine Daddy," she replied snappishly, remembering that her dads knew about Finn's decision. "And we are about to arrive at the station. Where can I meet you?"

She heard her daddy whisper frantically to someone on the other end of the line, presumably her father, Hiram.

"Daddy? What's wrong?" Rachel asked.

"Um, sweetie? We may have mixed up your arrival time a bit."

"A bit? How much is a bit? Daddy where are you, what are you doing, are you coming to pick me up?"

"Yes, we are coming as soon as we can. You see, honey, we thought you weren't going to be in until midnight."

"Midnight? It's only eight!"

"Yes, well, your father and I decided to go on a romantic dinner date and then take the ferry around the Hudson..."

"A FERRY?" she shrieked, and the passengers around her glared," Daddy are you telling me you're on a ferry right now?"

"We just took off" Leroy replied reluctantly.

"What am I supposed to do now? The train is due to stop off in two minutes. I don't know where we're staying and I don't have money to take a cab somewhere!"

"Sweetie, I think you may be over-reacting. You can just wait at the station..."

"You think I'm over-reacting? Really? I'm so sorry if I wasn't prepared to get on a train to New York City while my fiancé left to join the army, only to find out that my dad's stranded me at Grand Central Station for four hours!" she cried, seething.

"Rachel, calm down, we're going to get there as soon as we possibly can and we'll make it up to you by taking you to Wicked tomorrow night."

"I can't believe this is happening right now."

"Just stay at Grand Central until we come and pick you up. Stay safe, don't talk to any homeless men, hold onto your belongings, and we will see you soon. Okay? I love you sweetie."

"Love you too." she groaned, defeated. "Bye, Daddy."

She closed her phone and sunk back into her seat, her eyes closed. Everyone was abandoning her, leaving her alone without even blinking an eye.

"Rachel? What happened with your dads?" Jesse asked worriedly.

"They thought I was arriving at midnight and so they're on a ferry right now that's floating around the Hudson River. "

"Do you need a ride to the hotel? I can pay for your cab fare." he offered.

"I would take you up on that if I knew what hotel I'm staying at."

"What do they expect you to do then?"

"Stay here and wait for them, I presume."

"Well, that sounds awkward and monotonous."

"I'll manage I guess." Rachel shrugged, "I have my iPod, so the soundtrack of Funny Girl and Les Mis should get me through the wait."

"No, that won't do. Come and get coffee with me. We can kill some time and I'll have you back here in time to meet your dads."

Just as Rachel was about to respond the train came to a screeching stop and the intercom sounded once more.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have arrived at Grand Central Station in the magnificent New York City. I ask all passengers to remain seated until the door to their cab opens. Hope you had an enjoyable trip and have a fantastic time in the empire state!"

Almost immediately the doors opened in the first class cab and Rachel gathered her things to exit the train. Jesse followed shortly behind her, trying to keep up with her swift pace. When they both approached the famous Main Concourse, Rachel stopped in her tracks and looked around in awe. Jesse watched her closely as she observed the bustling atmosphere around her, studying the overwhelming emotions in her expression and how her eyes glistened when she looked up at the artistic ceiling.

"It's so beautiful."

Jesse didn't say anything, his eyes still glued to the brunette standing before him. She looked over to the boy standing next to her, his beautiful blue eyes locked on her, and smiled. As he smiled back at her, she remembered a dream she had three years ago. She had imagined this very moment, the two of them standing in Grand Central Station; only, in her dream they were a couple, madly in love and ready to conquer Broadway together. She remembered him wrapping his arms around her, saying, "We finally made it, Rach. I'm the happiest man alive right now. I have New York, and I have you. Nothing could make this moment better," before passionately kissing her and carrying her off to their apartment in Times Square.

She shook her head, realizing that it was just a girlish fantasy that she had made up while still unaware of Jesse's true purpose in dating her. It was a coincidence that he was with her now, and they stood there as acquaintances, not lovers.

Yet, she was glad he was here with her at that moment.

"So," Jesse said, the words dropping from his lips nonchalantly, "how about that coffee?"

xxx

**There is Chapter 3 for you! I was overwhelmed by the responses I got for the first two chapters. I am happy to say that I am now completely emotionally invested in this story and I hope you are too!**

**I'd like to thank eternallystberry for being my beta. She really does give my Jesse that extra kick of arrogance that he needs to _truly_ be Jesse St. James. **

**This chapter was a mid-length one, but Chapter 4 is gonna be a long one.**

**I am furiously writing away so I can give you quick updates! **

**Please Review if you haven't already or even if you have! I would love to know who is reading this and if he/she enjoys it or dislikes it. Tell me what you think of this chapter and what you think is gonna happen next...or what you want to happen next. You could be right or wrong, but you won't know until you ask ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of it's characters. If I did, St. Berry would be endgame, Kurt would have been accepted into NYADA, and Finchel would get out of our faces. I also do not own any of the songs mentioned: Don't Stop Me Now is owned by Queen, I've Got You, Babe is owned by Cher, Faithfully is owned by Journey, Firework is owned by Katy Perry, and Fix a Heart is owned by Demi Lovato.  
**

**xxx**

**How I Know You - **Chapter 4

After searching the streets for a decent coffee shop, the couple had to settle on a Starbucks that they came across after meandering down five blocks. Jesse ordered a cappuccino for himself and a green tea for Rachel at her request, not hesitating to treat.

"I don't want to drink coffee this late, I need to get some sleep for whatever my dads have planned for me tomorrow," Rachel explained when he asked her what she wanted.

"And it'll mess up that elaborate bedtime ritual of yours," Jesse added, nodding knowingly.

"Yeah," Rachel's brow furrowed as Jesse attempted to dredge up some change from his pocket. "You still remember my routine?"

"Of course I do. Your routines were—are—very important to you."

She smiled a smile of nostalgia before taking a sip of her warm tea and blurting out, "Can you believe we're actually here? In New York City? I mean, just looking out the window at the buildings around us is breathtaking! It's like a dream!"

"Not many people would agree with you on that. It is beautiful, but it's just a street." Jesse remarked wryly, looking at the scenery outside the coffee shop and noticing one building in particular. Turning his attention back to Rachel, who was practically bouncing in her seat, he asked, "Your dads won't be at the station until later tonight, right?"

"Yeah, I have no idea when though. I'll text them right now." Rachel took out her phone, punched at the keys for a few seconds and waited for a reply.

"They said the Ferry ride wouldn't be over until about 9:30, and then they have to find a cab to take them across the city, so it won't be until about 10:30 when they come and pick me up."

"Well, we've only been here for fifteen minutes, so..."

"So, what? Wait, what are you planning Jesse?" Rachel could see the conspiratorial spark in his eyes when she announced how late her father's would be.

"Look out the window and see for yourself." He smiled deviously, crossing his arms in front of him.

Rachel scanned the street for any sign of excitement, but found none. "Jesse, I don't see anything," she fumed, pouting.

"Look harder then."

She trained her eyes over every shop window, every sign, until she saw it. "Oh no, Jesse, you can't be serious."

"Do I not look serious?"

"But, karaoke? I haven't done karaoke in years!"

"Rachel, show choir is just one giant karaoke competition. Come on, this used to be our favorite thing to do on date night. Besides, you ought to give that spontaneity of yours a whirl. I doubt you've used it much since we stopped our impromptu concerts for the homeless."

Ignoring his reference to their formative weeks of dating, Rachel glanced out the window at the karaoke bar. Her eyebrows furrowed and she took a frustratingly long time to consider her options. This _would_ be the perfect opportunity to debut her talent in this thriving new environment, and the perfect opportunity to gauge native New Yorkers' reaction to her performance. Finally, she turned to Jesse and conceded conditionally.

"Since I couldn't think of any other valuable way to kill time, I'll do it." Jesse opened his mouth to rejoice in his victory, but Rachel cut him off. "But, I have to change into something more appropriate than these traveling clothes, and I will need more tea—but tell the barista to add lemon and honey this time."

Jesse obeyed and stood up to order another tea. "Wait a minute," Rachel called out apprehensively, "That's a karaoke bar. I'm too young to get in."

"I'll take care of it."

"It's illegal for me to be in a bar under the age of 21, Jesse."

"Rachel, you are about to go to a college in New York City. You have to learn to ignore the law, that one in particular. Go change, I'll get your tea, and we'll head over to the bar."

Twenty minutes later, Jesse sat with a lukewarm tea in his hand, waiting for Rachel to come out of the ladies' room. After checking his phone for what seemed like the hundredth time, he stood up to go check on her progress. In the twenty minutes it took for Rachel to get changed, Jesse had ordered her tea, convinced the manager of the Starbucks (a middle aged woman who fell for his charming smile) to hold their luggage in the back for an hour or two, and changed his own clothes. He now wore the same pair of dark jeans as before, but had exchanged his t-shirt for a black button down, it's sleeves rolled up to the crook of his elbow.

"How's it going in there, Rach?" Jesse spoke through the door. As he raised his fist to knock, the door swung open to reveal a woman he had never seen before. She had traded in her knee high socks and flats in for a pair of black stilettos, which made her ballet-toned legs look miles long with the aid of a pair of black shorts that hugged her hips, and a slinky floral top that hung off her bare shoulders.

Jesse stood speechless, his mouth ajar, taking in Rachel's foreign appearance.

"I think Quinn or Santana packed these in my suitcase, but I thought that maybe it would help with the whole age issue." She explained, wringing her hands when she noticed his stare. "You look nice."

"Uh—" He struggled to form coherent thoughts.

"It's too much. I'll go change."

"NO!" He shouted a little too lightly. Clearing his throat, he added, "No, it's fine. It's just strange seeing you in something other than skirts or dresses. It's nice." Jesse said, afraid he would have to wait another twenty minutes if she went back into the bathroom. He like Rachel's new look, he liked her confidence for wearing something so revealing, but at the same time, he was turned off at how un-Rachel she looked. If he had only just met her tonight, she would have been just another one night stand, looking the way she did now. Her hair was set in long, loose curls that fell just below her shoulder, her eyes were made up with smoky brown shadow, and her lips dawned a rosy pink balm that complimented the natural blush on her cheeks that appeared when he complimented her. There would be no trouble getting her into the bar, of that Jesse was certain.

"Here is your tea," Jesse said handing it over. "It got cold while you were changing"

Rachel took a sip then shook her head. "No this is perfect. It's a bit above room temperature, so it's neither scalding nor too cold. It will warm up my vocal chords just right."

"Ok then, I got the manager to hold our bags for a while. When we're done we can come and pick them up before heading back over to the station. So, are you ready?"

"Let's do it!"

They walked side by side as they crossed the street towards the bar. As they got closer, Jesse held back a little and let Rachel walk in alone. The male staffer that was checking ID's at the front let her in without a second look, and Jesse flashed his fake ID at the man who glanced at it before nodding and motioning him inside.

The bar was moderately full, everyone was off in their own groups, conversing about their everyday lives. Rachel was already at the karaoke booth, looking at the song selection booklet, planning out an award winning performance. Karaoke wasn't starting until 9:30, so Jesse ordered a beer and found a booth near the stage where they could both sit and critique the other singers.

When Rachel returned, she seemed downtrodden. "Their song choices are terribly modern. I would not be caught dead singing _Call Me Maybe_."

Jesse laughed at the thought of her singing that high-pitched, whiny song. "What about duets? Any good ones?"

"If by good you mean cheesy, then yes. They are all good."

"Then I guess we'll have to go with cheesy," Jesse joked, making Rachel cheer up and plop down next to him.

"Do you want anything to drink?"

"Not right now."

They sat in an awkward silence before she asked, "So what do you plan on doing for your vacation? Heading anywhere else?"

"I'm just going to go with the flow; see where I feel like going next, where I want to stay, etc."

"That sounds amazing. I wish I could do that!"

A man approached them and set down a fancy looking drink in front of Rachel. "Ladies drink free tonight, starting with our famous Cosmopolitan. Enjoy"

Rachel looked at the glass apprehensively before shrugging and taking a sip of the fruity drink. "Oh, tasty."

After her second Cosmo, Rachel started to loosen up and agreed to sing a cheesy duet with Jesse. At 9:30, the karaoke began and Jesse went up to sing a solo. His rendition of _Don't Stop Me Now_ got him a standing ovation and free beers from various women around the bar.

When he sat back down next to Rachel, she had a different drink in her hand. "So what did you think of my performance?"

"Pretty damn good, but predictable. If you love Queen so much Jesse, why don't you marry them" Rachel slurred.

"Rachel, aren't you a little concerned about what your dads might think when they pick you up drunk?"

"Nope. They deserve it after all they've put me through, so let me drink my MO-HEE- TOE in peace!"

"Fine, but when you finish that, we're going up for our duet!"

"Okay, Mr. St Bossy Pants," she poked him sloppily.

Jesse took another sip of his beer, he too was feeling the buzz of the alcohol, which made his duet decision a lot less embarrassing to him than it would have been. Looking over at Rachel, who was obviously feeling no pain, he felt a pang of guilt that he had put her in this position. Her first night in New York and she was already too drunk to speak coherently, and he was supposed to take her to meet her dad's in an hour. Nonetheless, seeing that she had finished her mojito, he chugged down the rest of his beer and pulled her onto the stage with him for their next number.

"Jesse, I still don't know what song we're singing!"

"I picked Sonny and Cher's _I've Got You, Babe_, and you are gonna stay here and sing it with me." he said as he put his arm around her shoulder to keep her from running off stage.

Rachel reluctantly took the microphone and started off the song. At first, Jesse sung it endearingly while Rachel spoke it with heavy sarcasm, but the song got the better of them and they finished it with an over dramatic run into each other's arms which had the whole room, including themselves, roaring with laughter.

The MC got up on stage, laughing and applauding their performance. "Alright, Alright everyone. Settle down! I think these two need another shot to really show us what they've got! How about an encore guys?"

They both shouted "Sure!" enthusiastically to the MC, who flipped through the song book. "I have the perfect ballad for you two! You'll really knock everybody's socks off with this one."

They both got ready as the opening notes started to play and the title came up on the lyric screen.

_Faithfully_ by Journey.

Even Jesse knew what this song meant to Rachel and he immediately looked over to see if she was alright. It was too late, Rachel had already dropped the microphone and was halfway to the bathroom. He handed his mic to the confused MC and ran after her.

"Rach, I'm so sorry, I had no idea what song they were going to play." Jesse shouted through the door.

"I'm fine, just give me a minute, okay?" She shouted back. Jesse took a seat back in their booth and ordered another beer, trying to give her space.

In the bathroom, Rachel sat on the sink, sobbing into her hands. The song that was chosen for them brought back too many memories, both happy and sad. Finn had told her that he loved her for the first time before they sang that song at Regional's three short years ago. She had also been conflicted about her lingering feelings for Jesse and the heartbreak of being denied by both him and her birthmother. They had lost the competition that year, but she had concluded _Faithfully_was her best duet with Finn. She couldn't sing it with anyone else. She wouldn't.

Rachel took out her phone and dialed Finn's number, waiting until his voicemail message ended to collect herself and spill her emotions into his inbox.

"Finn, it's Rachel. I got to New York fine, but my dad's haven't picked me up yet so I've been at this bar singing karaoke. They had _Faithfully_ on and that made me think of you." She hesitated a moment. "You told me you loved me before we kicked ass on that song and I was going to sing it, until I realized that I couldn't sing it to anyone but you." She felt the tears start to run down her cheeks again "I miss you, Finn. It's like there is a hole in my heart that I can never fix. I can act like everything is fine, but at the end of the day it's always going to be there. I love you so much, please Finn. Please come and get me, I don't want to be here without you. Remember the lyrics? Loving a music man ain't always what it's supposed to be, oh boy you stand by me. I'm forever yours. Faithfully. Please don't join the army. I need you." Before she could say anymore, the phone beeped in her ear, her time to speak having been cut off.

She hugged herself as she cried, trying to calm down. When she heard Jesse's voice at the door, asking her if she still wanted to do a solo number, she wiped away her tears and put on her best show face. "I'm coming! Just tell them to let someone else go while I get ready." She turned to her reflection in the mirror and fixed the smudged mascara under her eyes. She blotted her face down with cool water until the blotchiness disappeared, all the while overhearing a horrible rendition of _Firework_ sung by some old drunk who, by the sounds of it, thought notes were of little importance.

Jesse was waiting by the door when she finally came out of the bathroom. He straightened up and hurried behind her as she made her way to the stage. "Rachel, are you okay? You don't have to sing. We can talk about_it_ instead."

"No, Jesse. I'm fine. I'm gonna go sing now, okay?" She said, then turned her back and stepped up on the stage. She whispered her song choice to the MC and adjusted the microphone to the right level. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and started to sing softly.

_It's probably what's best for you_

_I only want the best for you_

_and If I'm not the best then your stuck_

_I tried to sever ties and I_

_ended up with wounds to bind_

_it's like your pouring salt in my cuts_

_and I just ran out of Band-Aids_

_I don't even know where to start_

_Cause you can bandage the damage_

_you never really can fix a heart._

_you must be a miracle worker_

_swearing up and down_

_you can fix what's been broken yeah_

_please don't get my hopes up no no_

_baby tell me how could you be so cruel._

_it's like your pouring salt on my cuts_

_and I just ran out of Band-Aids_

_I don't even know where to start_

_Cause you can bandage the damage_

_but you never really can fix my heart_

The whole room erupted in applause and Rachel gave a quick bow before quickly stalking off the stage.

Jesse waited for her by the step, but she sauntered past him before he could offer his compliments. He followed her to the booth where she grabbed her purse and made for the exit.

"Rachel, where are you going? You shouldn't be on the streets alone this late."

"I'll be fine, I carry pepper spray and a rape whistle, remember."

"Rach, please let me call a cab and get your luggage."

"Don't call me that!" She rounded on him. "I'm not your girlfriend, Jesse."

"I'm aware of that, Rachel." he raised his voice to match hers. "but, Just let me help you."

"I don't need your help! I'm not some silly teenage girl you can mess around with! Don't think I don't know what you're doing right now!" she snapped, her eyes blazing.

"Oh really, Rachel? What am I doing right now? Enlighten me!"

"You think that by taking me out for karaoke and getting me drunk that I'll magically realize that you're the guy for me and let you get in my pants. Well, you're wrong. I'm not single, Jesse. I have a fiancé! And I will _never_ feel the same way about you that I do about Finn!"

Jesse fumed at her suggestion. "It's always about that with you, isn't it? All I want to do is get into your pants! God, Rachel! Are you kidding me? Finn broke up with you! He's joining the army, you'll never see him again, so give it up! What's happened to you?"

"What do you mean, 'what's happened to me'?" Rachel spat.

"You've become dependent on Finn!" Jesse snapped, "It's all Finn or your life has no purpose anymore!

You used to have dreams, Rachel, ambitions! And you've thrown everything away for the most unfit swine I've ever had the displeasure of knowing. Why are you so hung up on him, Rachel? What good has Finn ever done you? You are not the Rachel Berry I loved, destined for Broadway. Not even close. You've lost everything that makes you a star and it's disgusting to me. I don't even know who you are anymore, or why you're here!"

Rachel froze and Jesse could see the pain in her eyes replace the rage. He knew he had gone too far.

"Rachel, I didn't mean all that." he said in a pained voice.

Rachel raised her hand to stop him, "Don't contact me, Jesse." She spoke softly.

"What?"

"Don't call me, don't text me, don't email me, don't try to find me, just leave me alone!" Rachel turned on her heel and stalked away, leaving Jesse regretting every word he said.

xxx

**How much do you guys hate me right now? There had to be drama! Don't worry I have a plan...maybe...**

**You are all allowed to yell at me in the reviews, god knows I had to do some serious apologizing to my beta, eternallystberry. We still love each other though, yay!**

**Thank You for your continued support of this story, every suggestion and comment is noted and appreciated! There are a couple people who are guests or have their private messaging off, so I want to take this moment to say Thank You to you guys and I really appreciate you taking time out of your day to read. ALSO! THANKS FOR ALERTING AND FAVORITE-ING IT MEANS SO MUCH!**

**So what do you think guys? Should I keep the chapter's at this length? Longer or shorter chapters? Tell me! (also tell me how long you think Jesse will leave Rachel alone for).**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of it's characters. If I did, St. Berry would be endgame, Kurt would have been accepted into NYADA, and Finchel would get out of our faces. I also do not own any of the songs mentioned and the Grandiose Hotel does not exist.  
**

**xxx**

**How I Know You - **Chapter 5

Jesse called Rachel at least five times on her walk back to Grand Central, but she ignored his first call, then after the third, blocked his number from her phone and kept walking. Jesse trailed behind her, making sure she was safe, but keeping his distance . He respected her need for space at the present moment, but he was not going to give her up indefinitely. She may not be the Rachel he once knew, but she was still Rachel, and he was still irrevocably in love with her.

When Jesse had realized how much Rachel meant to him, there was no going back. After she had made that _Run, Joey, Run_ video, revealing how little she truly cared about their relationship, Jesse had become a monster of his own jealousy. He had already planned on returning to Vocal Adrenaline once Rachel had discovered who her mother really was, but had insisted to both his team mates and Shelby, that the terms of their relationship were non-negotiable. However, when Rachel had defended her decision to use Finn and Puck in her video, then accused _him_ of breaking _her_ heart, he was so filled with envious rage that he couldn't find sense in anything other than hurting Rachel in return, making her feel what he had felt.

After fulfilling his duty to Shelby, Jesse transferred secretly back to Carmel and helped prepare a number that would hurt Rachel as much as she had hurt him. What Jesse hadn't expected was what his team mates had had planned for the New Directions. He had reluctantly agreed to tee pee the choir room, it being a normal part of Carmel's funkification; but when the team showed him what they planned to do to the entire glee club at the end of the day, Jesse wasn't sure he could go through with it. That was, until he saw them.

Jesse had gone to seek out Rachel and warn her of VA's plans to egg them afterschool, when he saw her and Finn walking together. The way Finn held her in his clumsy embrace for longer than necessary, and the way Rachel looked admiringly back at him made Jesse's heart freeze over. He was no longer enraged by his jealousy, Jesse had turned cold and vindictive in a matter of seconds. So, Jesse had gone back to his team with the suggestion that they egg only one person, the leader of the New Directions. At first, his peers had been confused, Jesse had practically threatened murder if any one of them tried to hurt Rachel, but when he informed them that "all bets were off" they practically wet themselves in excitement and congratulated Jesse on rejoining the group, completely.

Jesse didn't understand how easily ice shatters. When he saw Rachel running towards him in the parking lot, feelings of guilt surfaced; and when the eggs flew at her from all sides, his defenses began to break, his show face faltering. His was the last egg, in this powerful position, Jesse had never felt weaker; but when she looked up at him, her brown eyes an expanse of nothingness, urging him to do it, he had no choice.

The positions had changed so quickly. Rachel had mastered her show face, she hid her emotions from him when he needed them the most. He had come to revolve around Rachel and her feelings, and without them he was utterly lost.

As he was now, walking a reasonable distance behind her as she sauntered off to meet her fathers. Only once he was sure Rachel was safe, her fathers arriving at around 10:45, did Jesse hail himself a cab to take him to his upscale hotel in Times Square.

* * *

Rachel easily found her way back to Grand Central Station, with enough time to have a snack and sober up before her dads arrived to get her. They rushed out of the cab and ran to her, repeating their apologies and taking her suitcase to put in the trunk. Leroy was too preoccupied to notice the sorry state of his daughter, but Hiram could sense how troubled Rachel looked.

"So you stayed at the station all this time? Oh Rachel, we're so sorry. You know that right?" Leroy pleaded, even as Rachel reassured him that everything was fine. Her daddy got into the front seat and gave the cab driver the hotel address, assuming the role of the "backseat driver," while Hiram and Rachel slid into the back.

"Rachel, honey, we're truly sorry. It was a horrid thing to do to you, after... everything." Hiram whispered, his voice low as Rachel curled up beside him, glad of the comforting mass of his warm body beside her.

"I know, dad. It's okay, I forgive you." Rachel sighed, leaning over to grasp her daddy's hand and squeeze it once.

"Are you sure it's okay?" He gazed down at her, concerned.

"Yes, dad. I'm fine." Rachel reassured her father weakly, flashing him a small, half-smile.

"Rachel, I may not be around as much as your daddy is, but I still know when something's bothering my little girl." His eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced down at her.

Rachel met his gaze and he was surprised to see the bright reflection of tears pooling at the corners of her eyes, her voice low as she answered him. "I'd rather not talk about it, okay?"

Hiram held her closer, soothing her as she clung to him, aware that his over emotional daughter would not be able to contain herself for long. Leroy looked back, concerned, and opened his mouth to ask what was wrong; but Hiram shook his head and mouthed 'leave it' before returning his attention to Rachel, who, to his surprise, was rigid in his embrace. He let her go with a quick pat on the back and a "I'm just glad you're safe" explanation and watched her as she shuffled across the seat to gaze out of the window for the rest of the ride, watching the New York streets flash past them.

Rachel's mood lifted visibly when the cab neared Broadway and Times Square and Hiram thought it would be a good time to excite her, leaning over to say. "Sweetie, you never asked us where we're staying for the week."

"Where? What hotel?" She turned to look at him and he was glad to see that the tears he had seen earlier had vanished, replaced with curious excitement.

"_The Grandiose Hotel_."

"The one off of Times Square?" Her voice rose eagerly and he laughed a little, nodding.

"The very one."

Rachel's brows creased, worry marring her features as she asked, softly**.**"But… how can we afford to stay there for a week?"

"Your father got a raise last month and we thought it'd be a nice vacation for all of us."

Rachel screamed so loudly that the cab driver swerved. "This is incredible! Daddy, dad, you both are the best!" she threw herself across the seats and onto Hiram. "Oh, Kurt is just going to die when I tell him!" Her voice was muffled in her dad's coat and Hiram laughed, petting her hair softly.

"Why don't you call Kurt when we get to the hotel? Talk to him about your day, maybe?" Leroy advised, giving a meaningful look at Hiram.

"Oh, yes! Honey, call Kurt." He urged her.

"That's a great idea, Daddy. I'll call him once we are all settled in." Rachel was practically bouncing in her seat, her eyes wide and dancing as she pressed her hand against the cool glass of the windowbeside her. Her gaze darted around them as they drove, as if she was determined to see everything at once,her smile beaming.

* * *

The rotating doors that enveloped Rachel Berry were gold plated and unnecessarily ornate, but so was the rest of the hotel. The lobby made Rachel feel like she was in Versailles; there were glossy marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and beautifully carved archways into every room. Her father's lead her to the elevator as she looked around, admiring the ceiling detail and failing to notice the black clad gentleman who conspicuously hid behind a pillar after nearly tripping on the suitcase that lagged behind her.

"Wait until you see our room, honey. It's spectacular!" Leroy mused as he led them into the elevator pressed the button labeled '21'. Rachel bounced while she watched the numbers ascend on the small screen and when the doors finally opened she looked to Hiram.

"Room 2109." He said, this tone betraying his amusement and handed his daughter the key. She took off in the direction of their room, leaving the two men to carry on without her.

"I am glad we chose this hotel, it will at least keep her mind off things for a couple hours." Hiram spoke softly.

"She's really taking it hard isn't she?" Leroy asked his partner, who nodded back. "Are you sure that looking at the school is a good idea right now? I mean, it might be too much for her, emotionally."

"Or it might help her get over Finn, Leroy. Seeing her dream school might excite her, remind her how much she has accomplished and how close she is to her dream. I think this is good for her."

"We'll see." Leroy muttered as they approached the room.

The door was propped open for them, but Rachel was already exploring every nook and cranny of the suite. The room was almost as ornate as the lobby; everything was adorned in white or a light gold, there was a sitting area, two separate bedrooms, one large bathroom, and a small kitchen. Rachel entered the bathroom, which had a Jacuzzi tub and a separate shower and gave an exasperated sigh before coming out to greet her dads.

"Who needs all this in a hotel room?"

"Many people, like your father, travel to New York for weeks at a time. They need a more furnished living space than one bed and a tiny bathroom." Leroy explained, setting down their bags.

"I'm not complaining, this is beautiful; but it's a bit much!" Rachel glanced around her, gesturing to the lavish furnishings as she spoke.

"We thought we'd spend a week in luxury, aren't you happy you have a private room and are not sleeping on a pull out?" Hiram questioned, raising an eyebrow in her direction.

"Yes daddy, _that_ I am very happy about." Rachel laughed, nodding her head in agreement.

"Go unpack your things in your room, then go out on the balcony and give Kurt a call." Leroy advised.

"There's a balcony?" She shrieked, spinning on her heel and running towards the French doors. The view from the balcony was breathtaking, the skyline going on for miles around; they were on a high enough floor that Rachel could almost see all of Times Square. She took out her phone, snapped a picture, and sent it to Kurt. Two minutes later, her phone began to ring with _For Good_and she answered.

"Are you going to tell me what hotel you are staying at, Ms. Berry, or do I have to guess?" Kurt's high pitched, enthusiastic voice spoke through the earpiece.

"Oh Kurt, there are much _grander_things we need to talk about. We can't waste time on a guessing game." Rachel laughed, leaning forward on the balcony banister to gaze at the view as she spoke to him.

He picked up her hint immediately, "Absolutely not! You are not staying at _The Grandiose_."

"The twenty-first floor!" She told him, happily.

"Oh my god! Blaine! Did you hear that? She is staying at _The Grandiose Hotel_!" Rachel could hear Kurt moving away from the phone, presumably to talk to his boyfriend.

"That's incredible, her dads can afford that?" She heard Blaine ask from far away.

"To answer Blaine's question, my dad got a raise and they decided to make this our vacation!" She put in, smiling and heard Blaine laugh.

Kurt sighed wistfully. "Oh I wish you had taken me with you! You have to be the luckiest girl in the world right now."

Rachel's heart plummeted and she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, wrapping her arm around her stomach as she replied in a low mutter. "Yeah, you would think that."

Kurt realized the consequence of what he'd just said and asked, gently. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm a mess." She confessed heavily, after a long pause.

"For a good reason, though." His voice was consoling.

"You have no idea." She said matter-of-factly, her brows creasing as she thought of her afternoon spent with her ex-boyfriend.

"Why? What don't I know?" Kurt asked, suspiciously and she could hear him moving around in his room as he talked to her.

"A whole lot."

"Spit it out, Rachel Berry." If she hadn't been so down trodden she would have laughed at Kurt's authoritative tone.

"I was, as you probably assumed, completely distraught by everything that happened this morning. Well, I had finally managed to calm myself down when I quite literally ran into the one person I'd never expect to see again."

"Who?"

"Jesse St. James"

"No way!" Kurt's voice rose to an almost deafening pitch and Rachel cringed, moving the phone away from her ear for a moment. "St. Jerk was on the train to New York? You're kidding."

"Why would I be kidding, Kurt?" Rachel snapped, irritated.

"Right. Wow! Jesse St. James! What was he doing?"

"Apparently he's not with Vocal Adrenaline anymore, and he decided to go on vacation." She sighed heavily, leaning forward onto the railing again, taking a deep, soothing breath of the cool New York air.

"So… what happened?" Kurt demanded and she could almost picture him settling down on his bed, Blaine perhaps curled at his feet, watching his TV on mute, a pillow hugged to his chest and she felt a sudden, strong pang of homesickness before shaking it off quickly.

"Well..."

"Well, what? Rachel Barbara Berry you better tell me what happened next or I'll explode."

"One thing led to the next and he basically acted like some knight in shining armour for the rest of the train ride." She explained, shifting from one foot to another.

"Eww, St. Jerk? You must have mistaken this guy for Jesse because St. Jerk _is not_ a knight." Kurt scoffed on the other end of the line.

"I'm going to continue now, if that's okay?" She retorted, rolling her eyes even though he couldn't see her.

"Sorry."

"So when we got to Grand Central, I was informed that my dads weren't picking me up until midnight because they mixed up the times and decided to have a hot date."

"That's horrible," Kurt sympathised. **"**What did you do?"

"Jesse asked me to get coffee with him to kill time, so I did. Then, we went to a karaoke bar."

"You went to a _bar_ with Jesse?" As Kurt repeated it she cringed, realising how it sounded.

"I snuck into the bar in clothes that Santana or Quinn packed for me." Rachel admitted, begrudgingly.

"Let me get this straight… you snuck into a karaoke bar, with Jesse, wearing something other than knee high socks and a dress?" Kurt asked incredulously.

"Yes, but-"

"So, you went on a date with Jesse St. James." He said, simply and Rachel's mouth dropped open, leaving her spluttering for a few, incredulous moments.

"It wasn't a date, Kurt! He was just helping me kill time!"

"Did he pay for your drinks?"

"Well, yes , but-"

"Aha! You had drinks with Jesse! Rachel, how many drinks did you have?"

"A few..." She twisted a strand of hair around her finger guiltily, her teeth worrying her lower lip.

"I cannot believe it, you got drunk with St. Jerk. I bet you sang _Call Me Maybe_, didn't you. Don't lie!" She could hear his laughter from across the line and glowered darkly at the New York skyline.

"Do you really think so low of me, that I would do something that degrading? I sang _I've Got You, Babe_with Jesse." Her voice rose angrily, but Kurt didn't seem to care.

"Of c_ourse_ you did a duet. Rachel, you can deny it all you want but that was a date. Did he kiss you good night?"She could hear his teasing tone.

"No, Kurt he didn't! And it wasn't a date, if we were on a date he wouldn't have said such horrible things to me." She said, her voice dropping.

"What did he say?"

"He said that I'm dependent on Finn, that I've thrown my ambition away for him. He said that I'm not destined for Broadway anymore and that I shouldn't even be in New York." Rachel sniffled, her heart constricting as she remembered his scoffing accusations.

"Jeez, that's harsh, even for St. Jerk." Kurt's voice rose in indignation, before softening again**. "**Are you sure he meant it?"

"Does it matter? He said it, he must have thought it at some point."She turned her back on the skyline, pacing across the small balcony and glancing inside to see her fathers watching her, before hurrying away to busy themselves when she met their concerned gazes.

"What did you do after he said that to you?"

"I told him that I never wanted to hear from him again, and then I left." She replied.

"Did you mean it?" Kurt's voice softened slightly.

Rachel hesitated, her mouth opening, and then closing again as she tried to think of a response. Unable to form one she changed the subject, asking. "Is Finn out somewhere?"

"No, he's been downstairs watching T.V. all day. Why?" Kurt's voice rose, curiously.

"Oh…" She bit her lip again, worrying twisting her stomach sickeningly**.**"I just...I called him a couple times and he didn't pick up."

"Rach, I'm saying this to you as Finn's step brother; give him a couple days. He'll call you when he feels like talking, but right now, it's just not the best time."

"No, it's fine. I understand." She leant forward against the railing again, sighing heavily and trying to blink away to tears that clouded her vision.

"I'm sorry-" Kurt began but she cut him off, unable to bear the pity she could hear in his voice.

"Actually, I better go. It's been a long day and I need to get ready for bed."

"Okay Rachel, I'm happy you called."

"Me too. Tell Blaine I said thanks for letting you go for a few minutes" Rachel joked blandly, her voice low.

"I will. I love you, Rachel Berry." Kurt told her, tenderly.

"I love you too, Kurt Hummel." She replied and then hung up the phone. Sitting back, she watched the light's twinkle in Times Square below her. Her eyes found where Broadway rested and her gaze lingered there for a moment, emotionless, before she turned her back on the city and made her way inside the room again, into her fathers' comforting embraces and her warm, welcoming bed.

Two floors up and three doors to the left stood the black clad gentlemen, his eyes also lingering on Broadway, but his thoughts on its future star. She didn't love him, he doubted she ever would, and the thought of that hurt more than he could have ever imagined. He felt extremely lonely as he retreated inside his presidential suite, the room dark and cold with only one body occupying it. Without changing, without setting an alarm, without even taking off his shoes, Jesse collapsed on the massive bed and fell into a restless sleep, filled with dreams of Rachel Berry turning her back on him and leaving forever.

xxx

**It was very hard writing this chapter, having the two of them be parted. I guess that just means I have to have them reunite soon! I hope you all liked my take on the break up and the Hummelberry moments. I've always read about how Jesse was peer pressured into egging her, but what if he wasn't? What if it was the heartache and the instinct for revenge that caused it? I don't know, I love getting philosophical. **

**I must apologize for making you all wait a week for this update! I had serious writers block and then real life got in the way! My regular beta is on vacation, so this chapter was wonderfully beta'd by DreamsofRay (if you haven't read one of her stories yet then you are missing out) and she did amazingly. Thank you!**

**Once again, I love to hear from you guys, so keep on reviewing! Tell me what you liked or didn't like about this chapter, what you think should happen/what you think is going to happen. Every review I get makes my day that much brighter and keeps me writing for you. I have a 12 hour car ride ahead of me so that will mean tons of writing time! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of it's characters. If I did, St. Berry would be endgame, Kurt would have been accepted into NYADA, and Finchel would get out of our faces. I also do not own NYADA or Hamlet or any of the characters from Hamlet.  
**

**xxx**

**How I Know You - **Chapter 6

_It was Rachel's first day at NYADA, she entered her "Theories of Acting" class and sat down in the front row. Looking around her, she saw the seats were filled with bright young students, all of whom, she suspected, were more talented than her, and would kill for a leading role. She watched expectantly as the professor walked in and took his place at the podium in the front of the room, picking up the roster to start roll call. The professor called names out in alphabetical order, then asked if he had skipped anyone; Rachel raised her hand, her name not being on the list._

_"Name?" the professor asked with a bored drawl._

_"Rachel Berry, sir." answered Rachel, leaving her seat to approach his podium._

_"Ah, yes. Rachel Berry," the professor said, finding her name on the paper. Rachel gave a relieved sigh and spun around to return to her seat, but paused when she saw it had been taken by another student. "Yes, Rachel Berry, I am to inform you that you are no longer enrolled at NYADA. We've changed our minds."_

_"Changed your mind? That doesn't make sense." Rachel turned back to the man, beginning to panic._

_The professor only looked down at her and explained, "We do not care to teach students who do not truly want to be here, so we gave your spot to someone who would better appreciate the opportunity."_

_"But I do want to be here, NYADA, Broadway, has been my dream since I was four. You can't just kick me out when I haven't even shown you my talent." Rachel protested._

_"We did kick you out, Ms. Berry. Someone who is really Broadway bound would not give up that goal for anything—or anyone." The man gave her a meaningful look, "Now, if you excuse me, you are disrupting my class and I would appreciate it if you'd pack up and leave."_

_"But, where will I go?" Rachel asked weakly._

_"Back to Ohio, I presume, become a housewife. All I know is, you don't belong in New York."_

Rachel jolted awake, her heart pounding and tears streaming down her face. For a moment, she couldn't remember where she was, so she turned on a light and made her way over to the balcony door. The cool air embraced her as she stepped onto the small balcony outside the room, it was five thirty in the morning and the sky was a light shade of grey. She brought out a chair and sat, watching the street below begin to clog with traffic and the sun rise over the skyline.

The inner psycho-analyst in Rachel couldn't help but pick apart the dream she had. She was sure that what Jesse said yesterday had caused it, but did she believe his accusations were true? He was right, she wasn't as crazy about Broadway as she was two years ago, but it was because she had matured, become more realistic. Showing too much enthusiasm had gotten her nowhere, it had only alienated her from a social life, and from Finn. She had pushed her dreams aside to survive high school, and it worked for her. There was no crime in that.

Still, what Jesse said had struck a nerve in her. She had always valued his opinion over everyone else's because he just _knew_ talent; he seemed more experienced than anyone in the state of Ohio in matters of star quality. Yet, Jesse had implied that she was no longer fit for Broadway, and that worried her.

"Well, what does he know?" Rachel grumbled to herself. Jesse had never been on Broadway, he didn't grow up in New York, nor did he have any Broadway connections. The truth is, Rachel had no reason to put her faith in Jesse's opinion, he knew nothing.

The supposed "fire" that had gone out in her could easily be rekindled. She was destined for Broadway, and NYADA wouldn't change their mind about her. It was an inevitability that she would play her dream roles on Broadway. Jesse had said so himself.

_Jesse fucking St. James._ He wouldn't leave her alone! His words lingering in her head, his voice still ringing in her ears, his face, his everything , haunted her. As much as she tried to rid her thoughts of him, Jesse would reappear encouraging her, reassuring her, judging her.

Rachel let out a defeated sigh, who was she trying to convince? Everything she had said to him at the bar had been a lie, she knew he was only trying to help her. Jesse had completely changed since they dated, he was a decent human being, even a nice one; and she seemed to have not changed at all. Tears began to well up in her eyes, she wished none of this had ever happened. She wished, she wished, she wished...nothing. Rachel was completely and utterly lost, she had no idea who she was anymore, or what she wanted.

Wiping the tears from her cheeks, Rachel shuffled into her bed and fell back to sleep, dreaming nothing, until her father gently shook her awake.

"Rachel, sweetie? It's time to wake up, we've got an exciting day ahead of us." Hiram said, sitting on the side of her bed, brushing the hair away from her face. Rachel turned over, looking for the clock.

"Thanks, dad, I'll go get ready." Rachel croaked as she pushed herself up on her elbows, the curtains were opened, revealing the full light of day, and the noise of car horns and screeching breaks reminded her of where she was—in the heart of Manhattan.

After an hour's worth of routine activities, Rachel greeted her fathers at the door and they headed down for breakfast. As she consumed her fruit salad and oatmeal with cinnamon and soymilk, Leroy explained the schedule of the day, which included: a taxi ride to Central Park, renting bikes to take around the park, and later, a Shakespearean play performed by an amateur, yet popular, acting troupe. Rachel was excited to see a live play in Central Park, though she was sure it wouldn't be anything like seeing a Broadway show. Her fathers allowed her to hail the cab, an exciting accomplishment for the future New Yorker, and they arrived at Central Park within fifteen minutes.

A three person bike was harder to navigate than it looked, her dad did the steering, which irritated Rachel, who liked having control, and the three had a hard time finding a smooth rhythm for pedaling. Nevertheless, Central Park in the summer was beautiful. Everything was green and colorful, the birds were happily chirping away and lounging around in the water, and the sun shone brilliantly through the trees. For the first time in what seemed like a long time, Rachel felt truly content.

The Shakespearean play being performed in the park was _Hamlet_, one of the Bard's most famous tragedies. The actors were brilliant, especially Hamlet and Ophelia, and though they had only a few scenes together, their chemistry brought her to tears. When Ophelia reminds Hamlet of his advances and is so rejected by him in return, being told to enter a nunnery, Rachel had to retreat into the comfort of her father's arms, where she cried for the rest of the scene. Her attachment to the character was further devastated when Ophelia went mad and drowned in a river, leaving Rachel in shock until the play ended and everyone else had died (typical of a Shakespearean tragedy).

After giving the cast a standing ovation, Rachel turned to her dads, batting her eyelashes, "Can we stay a little bit longer? I want to go meet the cast and tell them how wonderful the show was."

Leroy looked at Hiram who shrugged his shoulders, "I don't see why not? We have a few hours to kill before dinnertime and I'm sure the actors would appreciate it. You go ahead sweetheart, we'll be waiting by the front of the stage."

Rachel all but sprinted around to the back of the stage to greet the actors, where there was already a decent sized crowd waiting, who had the same idea. She pushed herself to the front and idled for twenty minutes, making small talk with the fellow fans around her and texting her fathers to let them know she was alright. Finally, the group came out and began signing autographs and talking to people in the crowd, Rachel made a beeline straight to the actress who played Ophelia.

"I thought you were magnificent today!" Rachel blurted to the actress without preamble.

"Thank you so much!" The girl smiled back, "What's your name?"

"Rachel Berry," Rachel answered, then continued, "I just connected with your character deeply –not so much with the insanity part—but the scenes with Hamlet. You two had such great chemistry!"

"Brian and I hear that a lot, thank you." the actress giggled, making Rachel feel like she was not understanding some inside joke. "I'm Elizabeth, by the way, would you like me to sign something?"

"I didn't bring anything to sign." Rachel confessed, regretting not having taken the playbill from her father.

"It's okay, I'll just sign one of our business cards for you if you'd like?" Elizabeth said, pulling out her wallet and retrieving a small card.

"That'd be wonderful! So how do you like it in New York? I am going to be attending NYADA in the fall."

"I went to NYADA, it's a great school!" the actress said matter-of-factly, nodding knowingly, "There is nothing like New York City. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else."

"That's good to hear." Rachel hesitated, unsure whether to continue with her inquiry. "I don't mean to be too bothersome, but can you give me a tip on finding chemistry onstage? I'm good at it, but not good enough to bring people to tears like you did."

"Well, it's only known among the rest of the cast, but Brian and I are getting engaged."

"Oh, so it's more natural, then." Rachel said, feeling a bit disappointed in the woman's answer.

"Actually, we met in a NYADA acting class. We were paired up together for the "on-stage chemistry" assignment and we didn't think anything of each other, we just needed to get the grade. Well, we ended up having such amazing chemistry, in scene and in song, that we paired up for almost everything, knowing that it guaranteed us a passing grade. After a while, we became best friends and a true power-couple at NYADA; and when we graduated, we became a package deal. When we started this acting company and were living together, everything just seemed to fall into place and we realized how perfect we were for each other."

"That's amazing, congratulations"

"Oh, it's nothing special, one day you'll find that person, the one who everything just clicks with. Whether it be as a fellow actor, a love interest, or if you're as lucky as me, both, you'll find that person who ignites you and when you do, you'll never want to do anything without him." Elizabeth handed Rachel the signed card that read _'Rachel, Keep looking for your Hamlet, Love Lizzie'_ and looked around for the rest of her troupe. Locating them, she turned to Rachel and said apologetically "I have to go, but it was so nice meeting you! Thank you for coming to the show and for being such a great fan. Have fun at NYADA!" before running off and linking hands with the actor who had played Hamlet.

Following the crowd as they dispersed, Rachel found her way back to her fathers and told them about her conversation with Elizabeth.

"She signed this for me." Rachel explained as she handed Leroy the card.

"'Keep looking for your Hamlet?' What a bleak piece of advice, why would you want to find a man that kills your father and makes you go insane? Quite counterintuitive if you ask me—" Leroy said, motioning to his partner and passing the card to him.

"Daddy, it's not meant to be taken literally! She means to keep looking for the man I have the greatest chemistry with!"

"Yes, and why would this Hamlet character specifically kill me?" Hiram inquired, quirking his eyebrow at Leroy.

"Oh Hiram, I think we both know who would be the first one murdered in this relationship"

As her fathers carried on their banter, Rachel watched as the stage was cleared of all scenery and props. She watched a group of young stagehands make a group effort to drag off the elaborate throne that sat at the center of the stage, all of them obviously college students who thought their method was the best. They lifted and dropped the prop several times to argue before finally getting it offstage. As the men came back to clean up the floor, one in particular stopped and made his way to the edge of the stage to greet a friend. Her eyes followed the boy to the edge of the stage and her heart stopped when she saw who he jumped down to talk to. Jesse was giving the stagehand a brotherly hug that soon turned into a round of play fighting and easy conversation. Rachel stood motionless, her head spinning, feeling angry, nervous, relieved, and surprised all in the same moment. It wasn't that strange for Jesse to be here, she thought to herself, he obviously came to see the play and catch up with an old friend, but it still bothered Rachel that she was seeing him now after everything that happened the night before.

Yet, she couldn't help but stare at Jesse, though conflicting thoughts plagued her. Rachel's body was drawn to him, she felt as though there was some gravitational pull that held her in orbit around him. At that moment, all Rachel wanted to do was go up to him and apologize for everything she had said before, to forget all the harsh words he said to her in return, to forgive him, to be held by him.

Her mind made up, she looked back at her fathers, still debating the merits of Hamlet, and marched purposefully towards Jesse and his friend, her resolve strong. Breathing deeply, she tried to come up with the exact words she intended to say to him, but half way in between her fathers and Jesse, her phone began to vibrate in her purse.

"Ugh, not now," Rachel mumbled, pulling the phone out of her purse with every intention of rejecting the call, before she read the screen.

_Incoming call from Finn Hudson._

_xxx_

__**I know, I know! It took me forever to update! I suffered from major writers block and then I decided to wait until eternallystberry got back from New York to beta my fic. She is mad at me for the ending but I am so glad she is back xD**

**I also know this was short and that I am leaving you all with a cliffhanger. I AM SORRY! AHHHHH!**

**Thanks for the reviews, they definitely keep me going. If you guys have any questions, feel free to ask and I will answer! I want to keep you guys updated with my progress but it is really hard on this site. **

**The updates should start coming on a weekly basis now. I am not leaving this story anytime soon! So don't worry! Thank you for reading, I really appreciate it :,) okay I am gonna go write chapter 7 now. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of it's characters. If I did, St. Berry would be endgame, all the deleted scenes would NOT have been deleted, and Finchel would get out of our faces. I also do not own NYADA. The Grandiose Hotel and Restaurant are made up. **

**xxx**

**How I Know You - **Chapter 7

"Finn?" Rachel answered her phone uneasily .

"Hey, Rachel." Finn's greeted, sounding hesitant.

"Finn! It's so nice to hear your voice!" she professed in a high-pitched, overeager tone, relieved that Finn had finally called her.

"Yeah," Finn replied awkwardly. "So you got to New York alright?"

"Yes, the trip went fine. I arrived safely and now I'm here with my dads. It's fantastic, Finn, you should see it. I just know you'd love it here. It's all we ever wanted and _more_."

"That's good." he said indifferently, pausing. " Well, I just wanted to check in, make sure you got there okay and stuff."

"Did you get my message?" Rachel inquired abruptly, hoping to keep the pace of the conversation that was quickly dying.

"Oh, yeah, I saw you called." Finn said nonchalantly, clearing his throat.

"Did you listen to the message I left you?" Rachel persisted.

"Uhhh, Rachel, I really have to go—" Finn started.

"No, no, no , Finn please don't hang up." Rachel pleaded, verging on hysterics.

"I'll call you later."

"Listen to the message, please, just...just listen to the message, Finn!" she cried.

"Bye, Rachel."

"Finn!" Rachel exclaimed, hearing a click on the other end of the line. Feeling her knees give out under her, she collapsed on the nearest chair, gasping for air.

Her fathers, noticing the state of their daughter, ran over, Leroy flitted around Rachel while Hiram rubbed soothing circles into her back. Rachel wrapped herself around her father, sobbing into his shoulder and soaking his shirt.

"What happened, sweetheart?" Hiram asked softly, wrapping his arms tighter around her.

"Finn," Rachel managed to choke out.

"Finn called?" Leroy asked incredulously and she nodded into Hiram's shoulder.

"What happened?"

"He hung up on me, he didn't want to talk to me." she sobbed.

"Oh, that little jackass! I bet he called just to upset you. He is gonna get a piece of my mind that boy, ruining such a nice day." Leroy huffed, pulling out his cell phone and scrolling through his contacts until he found the number of the boy who had broken his little girl's heart.

* * *

The Grandiose Hotel Restaurant and Bistro catered to older, more sophisticated customers. Many businessmen ate their lunches there while typing furiously on their laptops, there were high class women who sipped their cappuccinos after a long day of shopping, and there were parents who treated themselves to a night out, leaving their poorly behaved children behind. So, when two young, jean-clad boys stumbled into the classy establishment, the staff was taken aback and pompously inquired whether the boys could pay for such a meal.

Jesse flashed his platinum card at the host, watching amusedly as the man apologized, led them to a plush table overlooking the city, and promptly took their drink orders. "That was fun." Jesse snickered to his old friend, who now sat across from him with a worried look on his face.

"St. James, I can't let you pay for my lunch. You are my guest, I should be treating _you_ to dinner."

"Skylar, it's no big deal. You helped put on a spectacular play today and so I am repaying you with dinner. Besides, it's not my money." Jesse said, smirking as he waved his parent's credit card around once more.

"Right, you're Jesse St. James, the trust fund baby." Skylar joked wryly. "Is that what you put on your resume?"

"You forgot so quickly that this trust fund baby is paying for your meal." Jesse retorted in mock irritation, waiting until Skylar was stumbling over an apology to break his showface, giggling like a child and earning a shove across the table from his friend as the waiter came to take their orders.

Skylar had been one of Jesse's best friends at Carmel High. He worked the music and helped design the sets for every Vocal Adrenaline number, accompanying them to Nationals for three consecutive years. The best thing about their friendship was that it wasn't formed over the need to be a team, nor was it undermined by the fierce competition within the show choir group; their friendship sprung out of their mutual love of the performing arts and their tendency to stay in the auditorium for unnecessarily long hours after practice. Skylar was his biggest supporter in every decision he made, including his transfer to McKinley High in their senior year, but he was also the first one to call him out on his mistakes. Seeing his best friend now brought back the happiness that Jesse had been missing, the pure joy that made him act like an immature teenage boy again.

"So, St. James, you told me about college life and you told me about coaching VA. You gotta give me more than that, I need the good stuff! Go into graphic detail about all your hookups, share your innermost thoughts, and most of all, tell me what you're really doing in New York." Skylar demanded with great entitlement.

Jesse was slightly put off by these questions, hesitating before putting on a showface and shrugging. "You're not my therapist first off, second, I've had no hookups, and thirdly, ever heard of a thing called vacation?"

Skylar's cocky smile sunk into a frown, "No need to get snippy, Jesse, and you think after four years of working with you I don't know your showface when I see it? That's weak, man."

"You think I'm lying about not having had sex in two years?" Jesse prompted defensively.

"No, I think you're lying about why you're in New York." Skylar accused as the waiter brought their food out.

The two ate in silence, Skylar giving Jesse patronizing looks the entire time. Finally, Jesse snapped. "You know what, fine. Since you're so eager to know, I came here with Rachel."

His friends mouth dropped open, along with a piece of half-chewed steak, gaping at Jesse, who folded his arms and looked blankly out the window. Skylar swallowed, still staring at Jesse until he articulated loudly, "No. Fucking. Way."

Jesse scoffed at his friend, who sat back with an amused look on his face. "No wonder you haven't gotten laid in two years. Man, all that time pining over Rachel Berry from McKinley High? How much did you have to pay her to forgive you after all that shit you did?"

"Fuck you," Jesse quipped, sparing an angry sideways glance at Skylar.

"Seriously though, you're here with her?" Skylar questioned earnestly, surprised that his best friend had finally got the girl.

"I was. Until last night." Jesse admitted sadly.

"Well, what happened?"

"For starters, Rachel didn't expect for me to be on the train with her to New York. She was sent unwillingly by her tree of an ex-fiance, who is joining the army, to meet up with her dads and visit NYADA."

"What?" Skylar asked, clearly confused.

"It's a long story. But, one of her friends called me and told me to get on the train, and since I had nothing better to do, I did." Jesse shrugged.

"Wow. So?"

"She's a wreck over the break up, so I comfort her on the train and then took her out to a karaoke bar after, while she waited for her dads to come pick her up."

"Did they know you were with her?"

"No." Jesse stated frankly.

"Well that's a recipe for disaster, but continue."

"She got a little drunk and I made a poor song choice that brought back memories of Finn. She broke down and stormed out on me, accusing me of trying to seduce her."

"And how did the old St. James temper react?" Skylar asked knowingly.

"Badly," Jesse admitted, dropping his head a little in shame.

"What did you say?"

"I told her how stupid she's been obsessing over this nobody, and that she's let herself become an uninspiring wannabe star."

"That's harsh, man."

"But true! She used to be so driven, you know that! She threw her dreams away for some stupid useless oaf! I can't stand it!" Jesse said, his anger with the matter resurfacing.

"Still—"

"I know I shouldn't have said those things to her, I regretted it immediately. Now she never wants to hear from me again."

"When has that ever stopped you?"

"When it's Rachel Berry." Jesse admitted solemnly.

"Fuck that! Don't you want to make her see how much she's changed?"

"More than anything,"

"Then find her!"

Jesse scoffed at the idea, "And do what? Tell her that she's changed? Because that worked out so well the first time!"

"No man, you need to apologize to her, definitely. You need to tell her how you feel and then you need to use those master manipulator skills to help her get her head back in the game! Do what you came here to do!" Skylar encouraged.

"I don't know if I can."

"You can. You are Jesse St. James, one of the most driven motherfuckers I have ever known. You get shit done, no matter what it is."

"I will never tire of your wisdom, Skylar."

"Yeah well, you want some more? After you've returned Rachel to all her former glory, you can sweep her off her feet and remind her how much you two are meant for each other. Then you can finally get laid." Skylar teased, his cocky smile returning.

"Hey asshole, she's not just some girl to be fucked. I love her."

"I rest my case, you love her. So, you have to go find her."

"Alright then, how?"

"Oh please, do you mean to tell me that you don't already know where she is?"

"Yes," Jesse smirked at Skylar, "She's at the same hotel but, that doesn't mean I can get to her; and she'll have deleted my number by now."

"It'll take some serious sleuthing, but I think I have an idea. We have to find what room she's in." Skylar said, putting on his game face.

"And how do we do that?"

"First, we need a box."

* * *

Skylar watched on as Jesse approached the front desk, trusting his friends acting skills far more than his own. He desperately hoped that his plan would work, though he was sure that what they were doing qualified as breaking and entering in some way (and maybe even kidnapping?). Either way, if this didn't work, then all hope was lost in reuniting his best friend and his soul mate; at least, in Skylar's eyes it was, for this was the best plan he could possibly think of.

Jesse, putting on his charm, stood before a young woman who sat bored behind the front desk. Clearing his throat and flashing her a radiant smile, Jesse got the woman's attention, who stuttered over her words, "Can I help you?"

Jesse leaned in a little, asking in a sultry voice he was sure would melt her completely, "Yes, I was wondering if you could give me a certain room number."

The woman began to dazedly nod her head, but stopped short. "Oh, um, I'm sorry. We're not allowed to share that type of information with non-guests."

"But, I am a guest. Jesse St. James, I'm up in the presidential suite." Jesse explained, his body tense from her initial refusal.

"Let me just check that. I'm Denise, by the way." the woman flirted desperately, her eyes only leaving his to check the computer. "Oh, I'm sorry Mr. St. James. I wasn't aware of your continued business with us. How is your father, Martin?"

"He's doing wonderfully, he's actually at The Grandiose in Paris at the moment." Jesse said, feeling hopeful that the plan would actually work.

"Wonderful. What was it again you'll be needing?" Denise asked.

"The room number of the Berrys."

"Room number, right." she repeated to herself. "Well, it's still against the rules for me to give you the room number. Do you mind giving me a reason for you needing this information?"

Jesse broke his showface for a millisecond, turning to Skylar with a pleading look, who gestured pointedly to Jesse's pocket. Returning his focus to the woman, who was now admiring his toned arms, Jesse took out the empty velvet box they had retrieved from Skylar's apartment and placed it on the counter in front of her.

"She doesn't exactly know I'm coming." He whispered, "I wanted to surprise her, her fathers know I'm doing it, but not that I've showed up to New York with them. I have this big thing planned...it's kinda stupid, I don't know." Jesse stated, channeling a Finn-like personality that would come off as humble and charming (though Finn himself was far from that).

"Oh, how sweet!" Denise squealed, "Well, that is certainly reason enough! Let me write it down for you."

"Thank you," Jesse said, accepting the card from her. "You've been such great help to me, I'll be sure to put in a good word. Denise, right?"

"Yes, sir! and Good luck, she's a lucky girl!" Denise called as he walked towards Skylar, waiving the card around excitedly.

Skylar high-fived Jesse, then took the card and memorized the room number. "Stage one, complete. Now comes the hard part, getting her dads out and getting you in."

* * *

Rachel sat in her room, perched on the edge of her bed, thinking. Everything seemed to be going wrong lately; her marriage, her future, and now her friendship, for lack of a better word, with Jesse. Finn had only called because he felt obligated to, she knew that underneath it all; and now her reconciliation with Jesse would never happen because, for one, she had no idea where he was now and, in a fit of overdramatic rage, she had ceremoniously deleted his number.

Collapsing back on her bed, Rachel let out a frustrated sigh. She loved Finn with all of her heart, but he seemed to have no trouble playing the role of an indifferent jerk. After three long years of fighting to overcome the challenges they faced just so they could be together, he should know how emotional she would be after the breakup. The worst part was, he didn't even pretend to care about the broken state of her heart. Jesse, on the other hand, had been at her side the minute he saw something was bothering her and he didn't leave her until she pushed him away. But still, it seemed Finn might not be so adamant in completing his mission to 'set her free'. He may have held strong today, but that didn't mean he'd be that way in a couple days. They were engaged, they were ready to exchange their vows and be together forever, Rachel needed to be patient with Finn, as she always had been, and give him time to realize how much they need each other, how they were perfect for each other.

As for Jesse, Rachel had to let it go. She would never see him again, and she came to the conclusion that sometimes things happen for a reason. She couldn't change what she said and she couldn't reconcile with him now that he was lost in New York. Sometimes, life doesn't give second chances (or third or fourth) and this was Rachel's first real lesson in that.

As she curled up to try and sleep, the phone rang obnoxiously. Crawling off of the bed, Rachel crept to her door to listen in on the one sided conversation. When she heard her father hang up, she peeked her head out the door and asked, "Who was on the phone, dad?"

"It was from downstairs, apparently our room was double booked for the rest of the week. We need to go sort it out at the front desk." Hiram explained.

"Are you okay up here for a few minutes by yourself?" Leroy asked.

Rachel nodded. "Of course, daddy. You go sort it out and I'll be here when you get back."

"Alright, we'll be back as soon as we sort things out."

Rachel retreated back into her room as her dads closed the front door and flopped down on her bed once more. She turned on the television and began scanning the channels for old movies or musicals, but found nothing. Flinging the remote across the bed, she next reached for her phone, which read "new message." As she clicked to open the text, there was a rhythmic knocking at the door.

"Let me guess," Rachel called out, "You forgot the key again?"

Before Rachel got up off the bed and made for the door, she looked down to read the text on her phone.

**Finn:** _I'm sorry for hanging up on you today. Forgive me?_

Rachel grimaced at his sorry attempt at an apology, but opened a message to reply anyways. She began to type in a reluctant 'yes' when she heard a more furious knock at the door. Tossing her phone aside, message unsent, she stomped stubbornly to the door, grumbling "Okay, okay, I'm coming," along the way.

Opening the door carelessly, Rachel found the last person she expected to see, and the first person she had hoped would be there. Standing nervously in the hallway outside her door was Jesse, his hair slightly ruffled and his hands lodged in his jean pockets. Seeing her, though, made his whole body relax and a barely traceable smile grace his serious face. Rachel, on the other hand, stood speechless, her face giving away no emotion or reaction other than utter shock.

"Rachel" Jesse started calmly, "I really need to talk to—"

But before he could finish, she had launched herself at him, arms engulfing him in a suffocating hug. Surprised at her reaction, he stood motionless for a moment, before wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on her head, which was buried in his chest.

"Rach, we need to talk."

Backing out of his arms, Jesse saw that Rachel had tears running down her cheeks.

She smiled at him and laughed, wiping the tears away. "I think we do."

xxx

**First of all, you guys are awesome for reviewing and alerting and favorite-ing. KEEP IT COMING! You guys keep me going.**

**Thanks to eternallystberry for beta-ing. I don't know how you tolerate me, really I don't.**

**This was a happy ending chapter! And it was a longer one because you guys are so awesome for waiting!**

**CAN WE JUST TALK ABOUT THE SCENE THAT WAS RELEASED DLFGHLESFJLSDJLAJLGDKLGHDLF YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN ME AND RAY AND CINDY AND SHANNON AND MADDIE WE WERE FLAILING EVERYWHERE. Check out DreamsofRay's tumblr, she posted a one-shot based off of that AND she has a fairy tale one-shot thingy.**

**Okay, thanks for everything and make sure to make any suggestions or predictions in the reviews! I answer all! (unless it's a guest or your replies aren't open)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of it's characters. If I did, St. Berry would be endgame, all the deleted scenes would NOT have been deleted, and Finchel would get out of our faces.**

**xxx**

**How I Know You - **Chapter 8

"My dads don't know you're here." Rachel warned Jesse, looking out into the hall. They hadn't moved from their position on the threshold of the Berry's hotel room.

Jesse nodded knowingly, "They are probably on their way back to the room right now. Skylar said he wouldn't be able to hold them off for too long."

"Wait, you arranged all this just to speak with me?" Rachel asked incredulously, "What if I had denied you?"

"You wouldn't have." Jesse stated confidently, that smirk of his intact. "Admittedly, at first I worried that you'd refuse to speak to me or you'd slam the door in my face, but then I remembered that you're incapable of resisting me."

Rachel crossed her arms defiantly. "You don't know me that well."

"I think I do, Miss Berry. I know exactly how you act."

"Is that so?"

Jesse studied her for a moment. "Right now, you're relieved to see you haven't lost me forever and you're thinking about how to ask for my number again because you deleted it last night." Jesse said smugly, coaxing a dramatic eye roll from Rachel. "Yet, I know that you are still extremely hurt by all the things I said to you and are curious as to how I will apologize for it. You are also curious as to how I found you. I won't go into any more details, seeing as your dads are probably in the elevator right now. But you're curiosity trumps your better instinct to slam the door in my face, and so you agreed to hear me out. Don't pretend like I don't know you, Rachel. I do."

Rachel stood speechless in the doorway, unsure what to say after that incredibly accurate description of her feelings.

"Here's my number again, call me when you want to see me and resolve our issues. I'm close by, so whenever you're ready. "

He kissed her on her right cheek and left her alone in the doorway, stunned, holding a card with his number in both hands.

Rachel retreated back into the hotel room, pondering everything that had just happened. Sitting down on one of the plush chairs in the common room, she set aside Jesse's number and touched her cheek where he had kissed her. She felt uneasy, and doubted whether she really wanted to call Jesse and reconcile. She didn't feel ready for any of it. Picking up her phone, Rachel inputted Jesse's number, then returned to the outstanding text from Finn.

R: It's O.K., Finn. I understand.

F: Good. I was worried about you, but then got all nervous and sort of freaked out... I listened to your message btw. R U O.K?

R: I'm doing better. I miss you.

F: I miss you too.

R: Have you enlisted yet?

F: No. I have to wait for my final transcripts. They want to see that I completed high school.

R: That will probably take a month or so, McKinley is known to take their time.

F: Yeah...

R: So, Do you think we'll see each other before you go?

F: Yeah, we will. You know, I haven't stopped loving you Rach.

R: Me neither. You'll always be my soul mate.

F: faithfully?

R: faithfully.

Rachel set down her phone as her fathers walked through the door, Hiram seeming content while Leroy lagged behind, huffing and muttering to himself.

"Did everything work out downstairs?" Rachel asked innocently, secretly knowing Jesse was somehow involved in what had happened.

Hiram opened his mouth to speak, but Leroy cut in. "Well, seeing as there was nothing to work out, then yes!"

"Leroy, calm down. At least there wasn't a problem. It was probably some prankster dialing up different numbers throughout the hotel." Hiram said in reassurance.

"Yes, I know, I know." Leroy said, swatting his hands. "It was just so embarrassing! This is a classy place and we went and made fools of ourselves downstairs!"

"You are definitely overreacting. We didn't make fools of ourselves," Hiram argued, "The man at the front desk was very understanding, he even gave us a voucher for a free breakfast tomorrow. We got free breakfast out of a prank call, this is a good thing."

"Very well," Leroy sighed, then turned to his daughter, "Rachel honey, we are going to head in for the night. Don't stay up too late."

"I won't Daddy, goodnight." she replied, standing up with them and heading into her separate room.

Flipping her phone open , Rachel found Jesse's number in the contacts and pressed the phone to her ear. After two rings she heard his melodic voice answer.

"Hello."

"Hi, Jesse." Rachel said hesitantly.

"Are you okay?" He asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Can we talk?"

"Right now?"

"Well, can we meet somewhere?" Rachel suggested nervously, "I'd rather do it face to face"

"Of course, but what about your dads?"

"They went to bed. I can step out for a bit."

"Okay, well, I'll come down and get you."

"Wait, what?" She answered, confused by his course of action.

"Just be out in the hall in five minutes."

"Okay,"

Rachel hung up and hurried around, slipping on a pair of flats and digging through her suitcase for her long cardigan in case she got cold. She dropped her phone into one of the large pockets and tiptoed to the front door, making sure she had her room key before stepping out into the hallway.

The hallway was empty and quiet, Rachel paced around, curious as to why she had to meet Jesse on her own floor. She perked up when she heard the elevator "ding" down the hall and saw Jesse step out. Taking one look back at her hotel room door, she jogged over to where Jesse stood, looking like he had just woken up.

"Hi."

"Hey,"

"Were you asleep when I called?" Rachel asked, looking over Jesse's disheveled appearance. His hair had never looked so messy and he was dressed in a dark t-shirt and sweatpants. The idea that Jesse St. James _owned_ sweatpants was inexplicable enough.

"I had only just gotten into bed, so I wasn't actually asleep."

"Sorry to wake you," Rachel said, realizing now how inconsiderate her actions were.

"Don't apologize. I said to call me whenever you wanted to talk, and you called. I couldn't say no."

"Where are you staying?" Rachel asked curiously.

"I'll show you, come with me."

Jesse pressed the button for the elevator, which opened immediately, and stepped in, Rachel following him hesitantly. Taking out his key, Jesse slipped it into the spot designated for the Presidential Suite and closed his eyes as he felt the elevator begin to rise.

Rachel, seeing where they were headed, pushed him accusingly, "You've been staying here all this time and you didn't even tell me?"

"I didn't really get a chance, Rach." Jesse quipped, recovering from her assault.

"That's completely besides the point! It's a little creepy that you are staying at the exact same hotel as me. Don't you think?"

"No, I stay here all the time. The St. James' have a big investment in this hotel chain. So really, I should be asking you why you're at the exact same hotel as me." Jesse shot back, a smug smile gracing his face.

Before Rachel could reply, the doors of the elevator opened to reveal Jesse's hotel room. The presidential suite took up an entire floor of the hotel; there was a panoramic view of the city, which in the night time was particularly breathtaking, and several elaborately decorated rooms. Jesse stood aside to let Rachel explore, wide eyed and mouth ajar, each room's exquisite detail. There was everything from a fully stocked bar to an ornate, canopied, king sized bed; chandeliers were in every room, even the bathroom, and the bathtub doubled as a jacuzzi.

"This place is amazing, and so big. You're here all alone?" Rachel asked, coming out of the 3rd bathroom.

"Yeah, it's just me," Jesse said, lounging on one of the many plush couches around the main room.

"This is too much for one person, if you ask me." Rachel remarked, sitting on the couch opposite Jesse, still admiring her surroundings.

"I agree, it is a bit much, but I'm not the one paying for it, so it's not all that bad." Jesse smirked.

"You're always so proud to spend your parents money on such big things, I'd just feel lonely up here."

"I didn't say I wasn't lonely." Jesse admitted, looking back at Rachel, who turned her eyes away from his. "So you wanted to talk?"

"Yes, I do." Rachel paused, "Well first of all let me apologize for how I acted towards you the other night, I jumped to conclusions, and it was unkind."

"I forgive you-" Jesse started

"But, what you said to me was out of line. You had no place to judge me for my life choices, nor do you have the credibility to decide whether I am right for Broadway or not."

"And I'm sorry for that, Rachel! You know how I get, I just wanted to hurt you." Jesse reasoned.

Rachel, who had started out so determined, sunk back into the chair and admitted sadly, "Well, you succeeded."

Jesse rushed over to her side to comfort her, "Rachel, you know what I think of you. You're the most talented person I've ever met, and I can't wait for the day when you debut on Broadway."

"Thank you," she replied meekly.

"But, Rachel," Jesse continued, "The determination that you used to have, I don't see it anymore. You used to only ever want to talk about theatre and singing and New York, and I'd never met anyone like that before. It bothered the hell out of me when I brought you to the Karaoke bar for a night of fun and all you could think about was Finn, and don't tell me that's not true."

"Of course I was thinking about Finn the whole time, we were engaged and he had just sent me off on a train that day! Why don't you understand how horrible I feel right now? I'm just trying to get back on my feet." Rachel said, moving out of Jesse's reach, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Then let me help you, Rachel." Jesse pleaded.

"Jesse, I can't—"

"You need a friend right now"

"Exactly, I need a friend." Rachel confessed, " You know you're not just a friend, Jesse, and I'm not ready for that."

"So, what are you trying to say? You don't want to see me?"

"No, I'm not saying that. I just... I need time, Jesse."

"How much time?" Jesse asked.

"I don't know, I just need to spend time with my family. I need to spend time by myself. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, yeah it's okay. I understand."

"Thank you, Jesse." Rachel rose, giving him a hug. "I still care about you, deeply"

"I still care about you too, Rach." Jesse said. "You know how to find me."

Jesse sat and watched as Rachel left through the elevator and descended back down to her own floor. Taking out his phone, he dialed in Skylar's number and waited for his friend to pick up. When there was no answer, Jesse resigned to leave a message and go to bed.

"Hey, Skylar. Just called to give you an update, but you're probably too busy playing Call of Duty or hanging out with your internet friends to answer your phone." Jesse teased, "Anyways, Rachel came up to talk to me and she wants to be alone for a while, so that's what happened with that. I'm just going to head to bed, so I'll call you in the morning, we can get breakfast or something. Alright, goodbye."

Jesse hung up and threw his phone across the room. Running his hand through his hair and climbing into the oversized bed, he agonized over everything that had happened between himself and Rachel in the past two years. He had never fought hard enough for her, he screwed up every chance he got, stepping aside and letting Finn take her away again. But what could he do now? He had tried to get close to her and she only pushed him away; she said she needed space and he couldn't possibly deny her, even though he knew that space would lead her back into Finn's arms. Jesse felt helpless, a feeling he had not experienced before meeting Rachel Berry. He was powerless to her whims, and her whims had taken him to New York and left him alone in a presidential suite. Now, all he could do was wait, and wait he would.

xxx

**The lateness of this chapter is partially my fault...Well its actually mostly my fault. Life has been really hectic, I moved out of my house and into an apartment and I started college. I haven't even been on tumblr much! So writing has been a difficult task to focus on and I apologize. Also, I had this written a while back and it basically spent a couple weeks in the hand of my beta (sorry for outing you). I admit I didn't do enough nagging to get it back because honestly I wasn't even on tumblr to talk to her anyways...I've been a shitty person with a hectic life. **

**So this is where I tell you that Chapter 9 may take a while as well. Once I get settle I believe it will be easier. BUT ALAS I AM NOT GIVING UP ON THIS STORY NO WAY NO WAY! I have it all planned out, all that needs to be done is the writing.**

**And yes, I know this chapter was disappointing, but you can't expect Rachel to take Jesse back immediately! As much as we all hate it, she is seriously in love with Finn and he is in love with her. It's not going to be that easy! **

**You have been ever so kind with reviews and waiting...you are such lovely readers and I feel bad when I don't update every week. Keep being lovely.**

**Thank you. If you have any questions, feel free to ask, I will answer for you :D**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of it's characters. If I did, St. Berry would be endgame, all the deleted scenes would NOT have been deleted, and Finchel would get out of our faces (which may very well be the case this week. YAY!). Glee also owns many of the lines Brody uses in that part of the text.**

**xxx**

**How I Know You - **Chapter 9

The rest of Rachel's week had gone quickly, and surprisingly smoothly. She had not thought of Finn or Jesse once, mostly due to her father's relentless effort to keep her busy, for which she was very grateful. By the time she and her fathers boarded the train back to Lima, Rachel had toured NYADA, picked out a dorm, previewed some classes she would be taking in her first year, and met with an upperclassman who gave her advice on how to prepare for her entrance into the program.

NYADA was a surprisingly elaborate school for its location in the depths of the city. From the outside, the buildings looked worn down and decrepit, many of them constructed out of a brown-gray brick that hadn't been washed since the 70's. The inside, however, had been transformed into a modern-Victorian-esque setting; the windows were adorned with white sculpted framing, the floors a brilliant mahogany, and the lighting scarce but ornate. The classrooms were large and open, each holding about thirty desks and all equipped with a small stage, lighting, and speakers. The dance hall was the least decorated, the walls made up of exposed brick and the floors marley, but it was still magnificent. Rachel was awe-struck throughout the entire tour, eager to take part and progress in the grandeur of New York.

All freshmen had a required list of classes to take during their first two semesters including: Intro to Acting, Survey of Broadway, Choreography 1101, and the prerequisite for their chosen track (which in Rachel's case required her to take a class entitled Vocal Control for Vocal Majors). For her first semester Rachel chose the Choreography class, the Vocal Control class, Literature, and Speech. Having decided her schedule in advance and having enrolled early, Rachel had the opportunity to preview the Vocal Control class, which had just begun for the summer semester.

To her delight, the Vocal Control class was instructed by the Dean of Admissions, Carmen Tibideaux, whom she approached after class ended.

"Ms. Tibideaux?" Rachel asked anxiously, worried that her consistent begging months before had left a bad impression.

Carmen turned around, and spotting Rachel, cracked a demure smile. "Ms. Rachel Berry."

"You remember me?" Rachel asked incredulously.

"How could I forget after all that you did to be given a second chance?" Carmen retorted, and Rachel, unable to read into her tone, was left with a consuming feeling of insecurity.

"I never thanked you properly, for coming to Nationals—and for accepting me to this wonderful school," she continued, all manners.

"I daresay you deserve it," Ms. Tibideaux admitted. "Your performance at Nationals brought your school to a win, and there are many who believe that you're going to be a star. Now you just have to prove it."

"Thank you, Ms. Tibideaux," Rachel managed to say, the compliment catching her off-guard, "No one has ever given me such nice compliment."

"Oh, I doubt that," Carmen said, "Surely your boyfriend tells you all the time. He didn't hesitate to make sure I knew your abilities."

"My-My Boyfriend?" Rachel asked, stunned at this revelation.

"He came up to me in Chicago and praised your talent, told me 'If anyone's going to be a star it's going to be Rachel' and that I wouldn't regret accepting you," Carmen gave her a meaningful look, and added, "See that I don't."

Rachel was speechless, tears filling her eyes at the thought of Finn testifying for her in front of the distinguished dean, a gesture which may have been the tipping point for her acceptance.

Carmen continued, returning to her podium at the front of the room, "Now, I have another class to teach, but I expect to see you here this fall."

"Yes, Ms. Tibideaux! Thank you so much." Rachel smiled, overflowing with joy.

Ms. Tibideaux gave a small parting gesture and called out, "Goodbye now," as Rachel skipped out of the room.

After her tour of the entire campus, Rachel was directed to the Office of Freshman Advising where she met with a student advisor. A student advisor is assigned to every freshman prior to their first semester at NYADA. Their job is to prepare the student for the transition into college, help select the student's classes, and inform the student of the work that must be done over the remainder of the summer.

Rachel knocked softly on the doors that led into a tiny office in the back of the building. A young man's voice called her in and she obeyed, shuffling nervously into the room and closing the door. Sitting at the desk was a handsome boy with short hair and beautiful blue eyes, his thermal shirt stretched over his large muscles. Looking up from his desk, he flashed Rachel a brilliant smile and stood up to greet her.

"Hi, my name is Brody Weston." He held out his hand for her to shake.

"Rachel Berry," she replied, accepting his hand return the gesture, fazed only for a moment by his beauty. They didn't have boys that looked like him in Ohio.

"Please, take a seat." he said, beckoning to the chair across from him affably.

"Thank you," Rachel sat, "So, Brody, you're a senior here at NYADA?"

"Junior, actually. Majoring in musical theatre." corrected Brody.

"Me too!" Rachel said enthusiastically.

Brody flashed another smile. "Great, so let's talk about what classes you'll be taking in your first semester."

"I've already registered for choreography, vocal control, literature, and speech." She recited, handing him a print out of her schedule.

"An overachiever," Brody said teasingly, taking the paper and glancing at it, "I'll also be taking vocal control."

"I thought it was only a freshman class." Rachel said, confused.

"Sort of," Brody replied," they require freshman to take it as something of a scare tactic. Then you return to the class in your final years as mentors. I'll be a mentor, maybe even yours."

"Oh—"

"Speaking of mentors, I'm going to give you a bit of advice before going into Carmen Tibideaux's class." he looked down at the paper she handed him " As well as Ms. July's class."

"Sure, what is it?"

"Work with someone over summer. I know I haven't heard you sing or seen you dance, but find a mentor and train with him or her the rest of your summer. I've seen kids get destroyed their first day in Ms. Tibideaux's class because they weren't any better than when they auditioned. During the first day, we have what's called the 'Freshmen Reaping'. You have to be ten times better than you were before. Practice, practice, practice. Just a head's up."

"I don't understand, I thought that's what NYADA is for, isn't it? Learning and getting better?"

"It is, but they want to see that you want it bad enough. They want to see you at your best when you come in and make you even better by the time you leave. If they don't see that, you'll get cut."

"I'll get cut?" Rachel asked, remembering the awful dream she had only nights ago.

"That's how it is here. It's brutal, just like Broadway. It's good, it helps you prepare, but it's tough. I have a feeling you'll be fine, though, you're obviously talented and you seem confident in your abilities and yourself. You're the kind of girl that's going to kick some serious tail next year."

"Thank you."

"I think we're done here, Rachel. But here is my card with my number, call me if you have any more questions." He said, standing and giving her his card.

"It was nice meeting you," Rachel said, smiling a little shyly, "Thanks again for your advice."

"See you in a couple months."

* * *

Picking her mind once more for who could possibly be her coach, Rachel gazed out the window at the passing scenes. Her fathers had opted to take the train back to Ohio, a mode of transportation much cheaper than taking a flight, though much longer. They sat across from her, both with their heads buried in a book, completely unobservant to her troubled expression. Rachel first thought of who she wanted as a coach: Mr. Schuster, Shelby, Finn (Finn was out of the question when she thought logically, he didn't know much about vocal control, nor did Mr. Schue). Shelby seemed to be the only reasonable option, and she wasn't sure her birthmother would agree.

Taking out her phone, Rachel scrolled through her contacts and, finding Shelby's number, pressed the green call button. After three rings, Rachel heard Shelby's voice through the speakers.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Shelby. It's Rachel." Rachel said, eliciting a speculative look from both of her dads.

"Hello, Rachel. What are you calling me for?" Shelby asked. In the background, Rachel heard a talking toy and a toddler laughing along with it.

"I have a question for you. Well, more like a favor to ask of you," Rachel replied, anticipating what her mother's answer might be.

"Okay," Shelby hesitated, "What is it?"

"Well, if you didn't already know, I got into NYADA. I am actually on the train back to Ohio right now from orientation," Rachel explained, speaking very quickly, not even pausing to take a breath. " Anyway, I was told that I need a coach or mentor over summer to improve before classes start and I was just wondering if you would if you wanted to only if you had the time to be my coach?"

There was a long pause before Shelby asked, "You want me to be your mentor for NYADA?"

"Y-Yes," Rachel answered, hoping her answer would be yes.

"I don't know, Rachel—" Shelby began, before Rachel cut her off.

"I-just, you were the first person I thought of. We both know that Mr. Schue has no real experience in vocal coaching, and who else in Lima, Ohio is good enough to prepare me for NYADA?"

"As correct as you may be Rachel, I simply can't do it." Shelby stated bluntly.

"Why not?" Rachel asked, feeling like a child on the verge of a tantrum.

"Because I'm no longer in Ohio anymore, I'm in Illinois."

"Illinois?"

"I'm working in Chicago now, I got hired as a choreographer for a production of Grease: The Musical," her mother explained.

"Oh, congratulations," Rachel replied, still shocked at Shelby's unannounced relocation.

"It's a great job with good pay, Rachel," Shelby said with what could almost be thought of as a note of regret, "Enough to support Beth and put her in a good preschool."

"That's great," she remarked, her congratulations unconvincing.

"I'm sorry, sweetie." Shelby apologized, "If I were still in Ohio, I would have said yes in an instant."

"I know you would have." Rachel said sadly.

In the background, Beth began to cry, which Rachel knew would be the end of their conversation.

"Listen, Rachel. I can suggest a couple people who can help prepare you, but I have to go. I'll call you back with those names, okay? Bye."

Before Rachel could reply, the other end of the line had gone dead. Shutting her phone off despairingly, Rachel glanced over to her fathers, who were watching her with concerned looks.

"What was that about sweetheart?" Leroy started, addressing her in a soft, timid voice.

"I need a vocal coach to help me over summer and Shelby was my only legitimate option, but she's in Chicago," Rachel lamented.

"I'm sorry, Rachel. I'm sure you'll find another mentor" Hiram consoled.

"If you can't find anyone else, you always have us!" Leroy added, "I am a professional at voice control."

"Sure you are," Hiram joked.

"Thanks Daddy, but I think I'll pass," Rachel said, chuckling.

The rest of the train ride was spent conversing about their favorite moments of their week spent together, and what Rachel was looking forward to when she started college. All the while, she couldn't stop thinking about how, if she couldn't find a mentor, she might get kicked out of her dream school. If Shelby didn't give her the names of any other coaches in the area, Rachel didn't know what she would do.

* * *

"All I did was spend a few days in New York. I don't see what the problem is!" Jesse barked at his parents, who sat before him on their expensive leather recliners.

"The problem, Jesse, is that you used my credit card to stay at the Grandoise Hotel, in the presidential suite!" Martin St. James explained, assuming his stern, business-like voice.

"I used the credit card that you gave me, to use as I wish!" Jesse fumed, sitting down on the couch across from his parents.

"We did not intend it to be used for extravagant getaways and treating your friends to expensive meals." Martin said through gritted teeth.

"What I don't understand is why you took a train and didn't fly first class. I mean, really! Trains are so, so—" Shuddering, Hannah St. James conceded, "Declasse!"

"Not now, Hannah," Martin snapped, asserting his male dominance.

"Why is this a problem now? You never minded my large purchases in the past! I'm twenty damn years old and you choose _now_ to crack down as parents?" Jesse accused.

"Jesse St. James, you just quit your job for no apparent reason, a job with a steady income, and you have no intention of going back to school, even if it was to pursue 'acting'," Martin snarled, his face ashen in anger.

"I didn't quit my job, they fired me! I've explained why I am not going back to school, I want to go to New York and try a few auditions, but you never listen." Jesse protested, feeling his argument was borderline hopeless.

"We listen to you, sweetheart. We just don't think your opinions matter," Hannah interrupted again, evoking an angrier response from her husband.

"Dammit, Hannah, I'm handling this!"

"I don't know why I even try with you two." Jesse seethed, standing up to leave.

"Now you wait just a minute, young man."

"Or what?" Jesse turned around to glare at his father, who was no stranger to the icy look that his son's face held.

"Now you listen here, I am just about ready to cut you off. We've given you your own apartment, allowed you freedom to spend our money as you wish, but you have taken advantage of us for too long! Get a job or go back to school. If not, then you'll be sleeping on a friends couch until you do."

Jesse was stunned at the ultimatum that was just presented to him. For 20 years his parents had given him everything, all to keep him satisfied as they traveled the world and focused on their business. Nothing had changed, the couple was only in Ohio so his mother could switch out her wardrobe and to make sure the help hadn't stolen anything. Tomorrow they would be off to another foreign country, another luxurious hotel, and that was just what Jesse wanted.

It was safe to say that Jesse hated his parents, they never attended any of his performances nor gave him any sign of caring about his existence. He constantly strove to prove his worth to them, to the point of physical pain, but he was done. Jesse's obsession with making them love him had lost him so much, including Rachel. His parents would have never approved of her, and even though he loved Rachel more than anyone he's ever loved, he was too weak to refuse their will.

"Fine," Jesse said icily, "I'll find a job for the summer, then I'm moving. I'm done trying to please you, because that's obviously an impossible waste of my time."

Without saying goodbye, Jesse conducted a storm-out that would have made Rachel Berry proud, slamming the door of the St. James mansion and speeding off in his Range Rover.

* * *

Back in her bedroom, Rachel couldn't help but miss the atmosphere of the city she had just been dragged from. She had begged her fathers for another week, but their bank account just couldn't swing it. For the rest of the summer, all Rachel could do was look at pictures of her future home, pack, and prepare for her first semester of college.

Shelby had yet to call her with suggestions for a coach, nor had Rachel thought of anyone else who was capable of teaching her. Her father's offer didn't look so bad, even though she knew he would only have good things to say about her performances and she wouldn't learn anything. In the meantime, Rachel had begun coaching herself, spending the majority of the day doing scales and researching songs that would test her vocal abilities. As she began her first set of scales for the day on her keyboard, her phone began to ring with "Sweet Caroline."

Running over and jumping on her bed, Rachel answered exuberantly, "Hello, Noah!"

"Hey Rach! How was New York?" Puckerman greeted.

"It was great! So beautiful! NYADA was fantastic and my dads and I saw a show in the park!"

"Sweet! Anything else happen?" Puck inquired, curious as to what happened with Jesse.

"Not really. We just did a lot of sight-seeing and preparing everything at NYADA."

"Oh," Puck paused, disappointed and annoyed that Jesse hadn't made an impact on her trip (he was going to have a talk with him later). "What are you doing now?"

"Working on vocal control," Rachel sighed, "I met with this advisor at NYADA who said I need to work all summer trying to improve."

"Rachel Berry needs to improve? I've never heard such blasphemy!" Puck joked.

"It's a basic guideline for everyone. We need to be in top shape before we even start. He said I needed a mentor, but I can't find one so I am coaching myself," she explained.

"Can't find one? What about Mr. Schue?"

"Mr. Schue has been a great coach, but I need a technique familiar coach and that's just not him."

Puck couldn't help but agree, "You're right. Shelby?"

"She's in Chicago. Believe me, Puck, I've thought of everyone. There is no one good enough here in Lima."

Puck wasn't sure what an epiphany felt like, but he certainly had one at that moment. Jumping out of his seat and nearly dropping his phone, Puck could barely contain himself due to the sheer brilliance of his plan.

"You should ask Jesse."

xxx

**Hello all of you supportive angels! I can't believe you have stuck with me through the incredibly long breaks in between updates! I made this one a pretty long chapter so I hope you are pleased! If you don't want to blame me, blame my math class. It is the bane of my existence and keeps me busy 24/7!**

**Sooooo...? How do you guys like the progression of things? Where the story is going? Should I speed it up a little or slow it down? Did you like the bit of Brochel I (and my lovely beta eternallystberry [who has an awesome ficlet called "The Results of my Naivety" its some crazy mind fuckery shit and it's awesome SO GO READ]) added to the story? Ok I am out of questions. REVIEW! It keeps me going.**

**When the wait for the next update becomes too unbearable please send me a message or an ask on tumblr (link on my profile). Having that little reminder every once in a while really wakes me up and makes me get the chapter done faster! Once again, with school the next update will take a bit of time but I promise to make it at least 3,000 words again. **

**Thanks so much for your patience and I hoped you enjoyed the chapter. St. Berry will be reunited in Chapter 10 and stay that way for a while! **

**PS: How are you guys liking the new season?! Brochel anyone? It's certainly better than Finchel. I am really liking the new season! The Breakup is going to be crazy this Thursday so get those tissues ready!**

**PPS: Writing will also possibly slow down further in November because it's National Novel Writing Month and guess what I'll be doing? I may publish what I write as a fic...how would that be?**

**OMG TOO LONG OF AN AUTHORS NOTE OKAY BYE DON'T HATE ME**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of it's characters. If I did, St. Berry would be endgame, all the deleted scenes would NOT have been deleted, and Finchel would get out of our faces.**

**xxx**

**How I Know You - **Chapter 10

"Jesse?" The name fell from her lips with enough incredulity to go around. Needing confirmation on whether she had misheard Puck or not, she found herself elaborating, "Jesse? As in Jesse St. James, the boy who I loved and subsequently loathed entirely after he broke an egg on my forehead in order to achieve his own nefarious ends?"

"The very dude," came the answer.

"Puck," she began lowly, and he recognized immediately that his fate was sealed whenever she addressed him by the nickname she deemed farcical. "I'm in no mood for your jokes. I need someone with qualifications."

"I didn't make a joke," derisively snorted Puck, "and you know St. James has chops, what with all his national titles. You're just too chickenshit to talk to him, probably because your lack of closure or whatever girly-ass issues you got with the guy. My advice, Rach? Strap on a pair."

"First of all, you hate Jesse," seethed Rachel, "You coined the term 'St. Jackass'—"

"I'm not his biggest fan, if that's what you're getting at," Puck interjected, "but I'm not about to deny that Jesse owns the whole show choir deal. The dude's like the Chuck Norris of Broadway."

"Second of all," she indignantly continued, "I've been subjected to the_ je ne sais quoi_ of Jesse St. James far too much already this summer, and I fear being in his presence any longer would be an overdose that I'm not completely sure I could recover from."

"What the hell did that fairy do to you?" Puck all but yelled, "If he so much laid a finger on you I'm going to kick him square in the balls."

"Let's just say Jesse's presence in my life has been rather intrusive lately," hedged Rachel, Puck's disparaging use of language chosen to be overlooked. "In a unfortunate twist of fate, I encountered him many times while in New York and I can't even begin to describe the humiliation I'd been made to suffer and—wait, why are you so interested?"

"What? A Jew can't look out for a fellow Jew? We Jews gotta stick together, Rach, and protect our heritage. And maybe," his smirk was easily heard through his words, "I missed your dramatics and found myself needing a fix."

Rachel's laugh was music. "Oh, Noah, I'll miss you when you're in California,"

"Don't sweat it. I'll still call you up, maybe test out a few pick-up lines on you before I hit the streets."

"I might as well demoralize you now, none of them will have much effect on me," she laughed.

"But seriously, Rach, consider giving Jesse a call. I know you've had your differences in the past, but he is your best shot at a good mentor."

With no more banter to change the subject, Rachel sighed. "I'll think about it."

"Good. So, listen, I'd better go, I have a pool cleaning job in twenty."

"Hopefully 'pool-cleaning job' isn't an euphemism for sleeping with women twice your age," she reprimanded.

"Who do you think you're talking to, Rach? I've become a different man since we graduated. I've made a total metamorphosis like a badass Monarch butterfly or something. Besides, cougars aren't doing much for me these days. Even if the sex shark is retired, hypothetically, I have a feeling he'd go for much younger, firmer meat with big—"

"And here I thought you wouldn't revert to your old ways," she teased. "Bye, Noah."

She heard the line go dead and flipped her phone shut. Sitting back on her offensively pink bed, Rachel considered her options for a mentor, and how Jesse really was her only hope. Rachel grumbled and buried her face in her pillow to scream. She really couldn't stand giving in to her pledged resistance to Jesse, she didn't want to give him any power over her, and she most certainly didn't want to owe him anything. If there was one thing that hadn't changed about Rachel Berry, it was her stubbornness.

Instead of pondering Jesse's merits as a mentor, she thought of excuses that she could use if Puck bothered her about it again. Storming unnecessarily out of her bedroom, she marched downstairs to where her fathers were sitting and plopped herself on the couch adjacent to them.

"What's the matter, sweetheart?" Leroy asked, folding up his newspaper and placing it beside him.

"I just got off the phone with Noah. He was trying to aid me in my search for a mentor, and although I'm sure his intentions are well-placed, he didn't prove to be very helpful," Rachel relayed sardonically.

"Oh?" Hiram chimed in, "Did he have any ideas?"

"Only one," Rachel replied, "Though not a very good one."

"Himself, of course," Leroy joked, reaching for his cup of tea.

"No, actually, he suggested I contact Jesse St. James," Rachel stated shortly, her annoyance with him slipping onto her face, darkening her stare.

"Jesse?" Leroy sputtered from behind his cup, "I thought Noah hated him, I thought they all hated him?"

"Apparently after he apologized to me—and we triumphed over Vocal Adrenaline at Nationals—they decided he wasn't a threat anymore," she explained, already finished with the conversation.

"And do you think he's a threat, honey?" Hiram inquired.

"A threat to what? We won Nationals, I am not in Glee Club anymore. Why should he still be a threat?"

"Well, dear. A threat to your heart, perhaps?" Leroy asked.

"You never had closure with him, if I remember correctly," Hiram added with a pointed look, picking up his paper once more to read.

"And now that you're sing—that your relationship status is a little ambiguous," Leroy corrected, "reconnecting with Jesse might lead to something—complicated?"

"That is a ridiculous assumption, daddy. Jesse and I had plenty of closure at Nationals a year ago and at this past year at Nationals. And as for my heart, it still belongs to Finn, it always will."

"So then I don't believe I see the problem with Jesse being your mentor, the boy certainly is talented." Hiram concluded over the top of his paper.

"I agree. You'll learn much more from him than you would from anyone else here in Lima, including me." Leroy, ever the comedic relief, smiled a little.

Sighing in defeat, Rachel stood up to kiss her fathers goodnight. "Very well, I'll give him a call in the morning."

Her fathers had given her no leverage to decline Noah's suggestion to contact Jesse, in fact, now she was obligated to ask him. She tossed all night in her bed, agonizing over the inevitable awkward and embarrassing phone conversation she would have to endure with Jesse. Looking over at her clock, it read 2:07 a.m., an hour Rachel had hardly ever seen in her lifetime. Clambering out of bed, she strode over to her laptop and signed onto her email, opting for the least painful way for her to ask for Jesse's help.

_Jesse_, she composed,

_I hope your trip home was safe and pleasant. I've been back in Lima for a few weeks already and have come across a particular dilemma. You see, my advisor at NYADA informed me it would be in my best interest to hire a mentor over summer to improve (though I disagree with this advice, I suppose I must do everything I can to enter my first semester in top shape) upon my already undeniably exceptional vocal range, capabilities, and overall talent. Anyway, I have had a difficult time finding a mentor who knows the technicalities of vocal control, dance, and acting, and who exceeds my talent and experience. Shelby is, as you probably already know, in Chicago and is unable to help me. Therefore, my last option is you. If you agree to take the position as my mentor, we can discuss your pay and meeting times, as well as my guidelines._

_-Rachel Barbara Berry_

Satisfied with the level of professionalism she maintained throughout her email, Rachel shut her laptop and climbed back into her bed. Having avoided an awkward encounter, she was able to sleep soundly for the rest of the night, no longer plagued with the thought of conversation with the boy who haunted her every night and day.

* * *

Rachel woke late in the morning to the ringing of her phone, and she reached blindly towards her bedside table and opened her eyes to read the incoming caller grudgingly.

_Incoming call from Jesse St. James_, the display read.

Ignoring the call, Rachel placed her phone back on the table and turned onto her side. Usually, she was up and about by this time of day, but after her insomnia last night, Rachel had permitted herself to sleep in as long as she possibly could.

As soon as she got comfortable enough to drift back to sleep, her phone began to vibrate again on the table. This time, Rachel didn't even move.

"I'm busy," she grumbled at the inanimate object beside her and covered her ears with a pillow until the noise ceased. The reprieve didn't last long, however, because not even a moment later the ringing persisted.

Sitting up abruptly, Rachel grabbed her phone and answered the call, stewing in irritation and pretty certain she was about to bite Jesse's head off. "What could you possibly what at this ungodly hour of the morning, Jesse St. James? Haven't you ever heard of common courtesy where one does not initiate a call before the reasonable hour of ten a.m.?"

"Good morning to you, too," Jesse replied lightheartedly, "Of course, you do realize it's well past noon, don't you? Otherwise I suggest you invest in a new clock, or better yet a watch."

"I'm busy," she snapped, put off by his maneuver around the wall of ice she'd built with her words.

"I didn't realize work-hours began at 2 a.m., which was around the time I received an email from you. I have nothing but the tip of my hat, Rachel Berry. I didn't know it was possible for people to maintain such eloquence at such an ungodly hour." Jesse laughed.

"I am in no mood to put up with your mockery today, Jesse."

"An email," he continued, "of all possible means of communication, you choose to send me an email. Not to mention the formality! You haven't forgotten that we've dated, have you?" His voice took on a licentious whisper as he continued, "That I've seen you almost completely naked?"

"I'm hanging up," Rachel rushed out, heart slamming against her ribs. Before he could plead for her to stay on the line she'd ended the call and stared at the device for a good few minutes before she dared to breathe again.

As she went through her usual morning routine, she grumbled at the persistent phone calls she was receiving from Jesse. Finally, her phone buzzed with a text message, which she was curious enough to read.

_New message from Jesse St. James:_

_If you're going to refuse to be civil and engage in conversation like a normal person, at least check your email._

Curiosity consumed her once more as she sat down, hairbrush in hand, and logged on to her email account. The first thing that showed up in her inbox was a reply from Jesse. Sure he was only replying to mock her, Rachel moved the email into her trash and walked away to finish brushing her hair. Seventy-five brush strokes in, though, Rachel's eyes had become fixed on the bright screen in the corner.

"Rachel, your willpower is like the upper-body strength of Screech," she said to herself disapprovingly as she put her brush down and crept over to her computer. Recovering the email and heaving one big sigh, she opened the window and began to read.

_Rachel,_

_Before I was so pettily hung up on, I was going to ask you how the rest of your trip to New York had been. I only recently returned, to the chagrin of my parents that I had even been away. Nevertheless, I have considered your offer and decided to accept. I understand your predicament completely, Vocal Adrenaline had (and will continue to have) the same problem finding a coach now that I am no longer "eligible" for a job there. You did best to contact me, I couldn't think of anyone better for the position as your mentor. As for pay and meeting times, I can meet at any time of the day, any day of the week, as many times a week as you wish. I know money is tight for your family with having to pay NYADA's tuition, so I will accept what your fathers are willing to pay me. Next time I call, I hope you will answer your phone so we can schedule a first meeting and discuss guidelines, for I have some of my own._

_-Jesse Thomas St. James_

"Asshole" Rachel muttered to herself, closing the window and logging out of her account. Her last step in her morning routine was to get dressed; looking at her closet, Rachel flipped through her collection of old animal sweaters and miniskirts, feeling especially tired of dresses that felt too tight around her torso. Picking out an owl shirt and a dark skirt, she completed the look with a pair of dark knee high socks. Rachel looked in her full length mirror and remembered herself as a sophomore, silly and confused, with an adorably atrocious sense of style. Grabbing a barrette from her dresser, Rachel pinned her bangs to the side and chuckled, she looked as if she hadn't changed a bit. She still looked like the petite sophomore, struggling to help a glee club of degenerates make it to Nationals while balancing her school work and joke of a love life—the same sophomore girl who fell for the bad boy and paid the price for it, the same sophomore girl whose first kiss would be her fiancé. Nothing had changed, yet everything had changed. Clicking the heels of her penny loafers together as she looked herself over once more, Rachel heard a faint knock on the door downstairs, and her daddy answer it.

"Rachel, honey, you have a visitor." Leroy called up to her.

Curious as to who would come over without first calling her, Rachel went swiftly downstairs and saw Santana waiting in the doorway.

"Santana? What are you doing here?" Rachel asked from the bottom step of her staircase.

Santana looked over at Rachel with a grimace and walked in to greet her. "I came to pick up a few things I left here before you went on your little vacation to New York."

"When were you—" Rachel began, before Santana cut her off with a smile to her fathers

"I hope I didn't disrupt anything important with my arrival, I'm leaving for the summer semester in St. Louis soon and I need to make sure I have everything."

"Oh, it's no problem Santana, we are glad to see you're well." Hiram replied from the sofa.

"Come on, Berry, up we go," Santana ordered, turning towards Rachel and leading her up the stairs. Rachel followed obediently, still confused as to what exactly Santana was doing in her house.

When they got to Rachel's room, Santana turned around and placed her hands on her hips. "Now really Berry, do I have to lecture you about your choice of clothing again, because I am prepared to whip out some scathing insults that have been building up inside of me like a volcano and are dying to be let out."

"I just thought I'd see if I still fit into these clothes," Rachel responded meekly, feeling threatened and out of place with the girl responsible for making her high school career a living hell standing in her room.

"Now that you've experimented, it's time you change before I rip the sweater from your body and jump out the window in hopes that some sheer force of God would enchant the owl and fly me away to a place that would put me out of my misery. " Santana remarked sarcastically, "Now, where are the clothes I lent you?"

"The what?" Rachel asked unsurely.

"Black shorts, flowery top, stilettos. They were in your suitcase." Santana explained impatiently.

"Oh," Rachel remembered, "Those were yours?"

"Yes, now get them!" Santana commanded and Rachel went to recover them from her dresser.

"I thought they might have been Quinn's, since she probably packed on the request of Finn." Rachel stated, handing the neatly folded clothes to Santana.

"You think Quinn owns clothes like this? Please, she's almost as prudish as you are. Quinn and I packed together, and being the influential Auntie Tana that I am, I slipped this little number into your suitcase, just in case you met a handsome stranger and decided to go on a sexy adventure around the city, and in hopes that you would take a hint." Santana elaborated, then glanced over Rachel's current ensemble again and muttered. "Obviously, you didn't"

"Sexy adventure?" scoffed Rachel "I was with my dads."

"I told Puck you wouldn't need them, but he insisted. Now I have the pleasure of rubbing it in his face that you didn't even try them on," Santana said.

"Puck? Why did Puck tell you to pack me something like that?" Rachel asked, more confused than she had been when Santana turned up on her doorstep.

Santana, realizing that she had said too much, made for the door. "That's none of your business, Berry. Especially since you didn't even have the courage to take off those kneesocks for a minute and live your life."

Rachel didn't say anything, too embarrassed to tell Santana that she had, indeed, worn the outfit on a sexy adventure of sorts with her ex-boyfriend. But Santana could see through any showface, even Rachel Berry's.

"Hmmm, so you did wear my clothes. I bet they made you look—" Santana paused, trying to think of the right compliment, "Well, not like a twelve year old granny. So, what was the occasion?"

"Nothing," Rachel stuttered, "I just tried them on in my room, I was curious about the fit."

"Liar," Santana said, with a knowing smile, "Well, whatever it was, I'm relieved you didn't step out in public looking like the lovechild of Pippi Longstocking and Raggedy Ann. You should really consider hiring me as a personal stylist."

"I'm perfectly capable of dressing myself." Rachel replied irritably, ready for Santana and her ridicule to be out of her room.

"You know I don't mean what I say," Santana said apologetically, "Well, yes I do, but only because I want to see you succeed. You are so stuck in this little world of animal sweaters and high school quarterback love stories, Rachel, but it's time to face facts. You're now a grown woman, and as a friend, I'm telling you to get that out of your head and go to New York a new woman. If it's tough love you need, then hell if I'm not gonna be the one to give it to you."

"Thanks Santana, I'll keep that in mind." Rachel replied, feeling uneasy that Santana had been the second person to say that to her in the past month. Accepting the uncomfortable hug from her, Rachel bid Santana a safe summer in St. Louis and goodbye.

* * *

Rachel spent the rest of the day waiting for Jesse to call her. She had cleaned her room twice, looked up some songs they might work on together in their weekly sessions, and had done some practicing of her own. She told her fathers that Jesse was flexible with his pay per session, which relieved them, and they had discussed an amount that Rachel felt was too high.

"Twenty dollars per hour in the daytime and thirty in the evening? Are you insane? That is way too much to pay for vocal coaching." Rachel exclaimed, her eyes flashing.

"It's actually very reasonable, sweetie. He is a professional, talented, and we know him personally. It also, what I assume, will be his only job this summer." Hiram reasoned.

"But we may be practicing over five hours a week! Maybe even in a day! It's too much!"

"We want you to succeed at NYADA. And we can always negotiate a lower price if the time you practice gets longer, Jesse said so in the email." said Leroy, who was preparing their dinners in the kitchen.

"Very well, I'll tell him those prices when he calls. But I am not happy about it," Rachel concluded, crossing her arms and throwing a pout in Leroy's direction.

"It seems to me you are never happy about any matter concerning Jesse St. James," Hiram joked, earning a stern look from his daughter.

Before she could open her mouth to explain, her phone vibrated in her pocket with a call from Jesse. "Speak of the devil," she muttered before answering, "Hello, Jesse."

"Ah, so you received my email," he replied smartly.

"Yes, and I am ready to discuss our arrangement. First of all, what days are you free to meet?" Rachel demanded, determined not to let Jesse control this encounter.

He took a moment to consider his options, though he was free every day of the week, he knew she would object to daily meetings. He never felt like working on the weekends either.

"We can meet either on Monday, Wednesday, Friday or we can meet Tuesdays and Thursdays."

"Tuesdays and Thursdays it is," Rachel answered, not wanting to spend too much of her week with Jesse, and hoping to minimize the costs for her parents, "I'm thinking two hours for each practice."

"No, absolutely not. We'll need three to four hours at least" Jesse stated.

"I hardly think we'll need three hours for coaching," Rachel said, considering the health of her vocal chords.

"You forget that I'm not just your vocal coach. I'll be mentoring you in dance and in theater," Jesse explained, "Your voice is the least of my concerns, it's your ballet technique that has got me worried."

"My technique?" Rachel repeated incredulously, "There is nothing wrong with my technique!"

"Not by Lima standards, but by Cassandra July's standards, you'd make her physically sick with your piques," Jesse stated bluntly.

"Fine," Rachel quipped, "We'll meet for three hours."

"Have your dads discussed how much they can afford to pay me?" He asked next.

"Yes, they said twenty per hour," Rachel replied, a heavy tone of disapproval about her.

"Fifteen. I don't need that much from them," Jesse said, "Plus, I intend to exceed six hours a week. I expect most of our sessions will run over."

"I won't let that happen," she responded curtly.

"I'll make those decisions, so, our first meeting will be next Tuesday, let's say around 1:30 p.m." Jesse dictated, "Prepare a song for me to critique, as well as a monologue and three eight-counts of choreography so I can see where we stand."

"What about guidelines?" Rachel reminded him, for she had a few of her own.

"Send me an email," Jesse responded sarcastically, "or we can discuss them on Tuesday. Until then."

"This might not work out, you know," Rachel interjected.

"We won't know until we've tried. See you on Tuesday" Jesse imparted before hanging up, leaving Rachel irritated and confused.

The truth was, no matter how strong and in control she felt in the beginning, by the end of a conversation with Jesse, she felt completely powerless.

**xxx**

**Wow okay this update took way too long! With college finals and such it was tough to get a word down on paper, same with this semester since I am taking a writing course. This was supposed to be a Christmas update, but then my beta got really stressed too, instead it's the writer's birthday present to you! **

**Thank you in advanced for those who have waited for an update and have not given up! I certainly haven't given up yet! and THANK YOU eternallystberry for being the best beta around, if you were less stressed I'd ask you to write more of your own stuff!**

**Also, Updates may still be scarce, but they will be long like this one. **

**Who else is ecstatic about Finchel being over? I know I am!**

**Okay! As usual, I appreciate any and all reviews, questions, comments. THANKS!**


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